k-Byte, July/August 1999
v. 16, n. 7/8
Contents
 1 State of the Group - Rick Mattingly
2 About k-Byte
3 June/July Meeting Reports - Mike Meyer & Rick Mattingly
4 FrontPage 98 - Arnold Stevens
5 My Spell Checker - humor
7 Do You Need A Web Site? - Helen Gallagher
9 A Leap of Faith - humor
9 Y2K Terminology:Firmware
12 Graphics Files - Carrington Dixon
13 Resume Maker - Tom Ekvall
14 Calendar of Events
16 August/September Calendars
18 Membership Application
19 Letter To A Computer Addict - humor
21 Parallel Port Zip Drive Tip - Rick Mattingly
22 Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business Addition - Jay R. Kim
23 Windows Insider - Valerie Ryan
24 FREE Internet Discussion Group
25 The Bright Side of Y2K - humor
26 Microsoft Works 4.5 Deluxe 99 - Bob Lowe
27 MS Excel Tip
27 How To Survive A Heart Attack
28 NetZero - What A Deal! - Alice Bienvenu
29 Wisdom From Senior Citizens - humor
31 FRPCUG Contacts

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing. - Oscar Wilde

State of the Group From The President
by Rick Mattingly

Summer is here and we are all busy doing summer things. But, after summer there is fall. And, this fall is shaping up to be a very busy one with all sorts of new hardware and software products arriving on the computing scene.

We have some great programs lined up for the fall. Have a super summer but plan to join us in the fall to keep up with the ever changing computing world.

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About k-Byte

Published bi-monthly, k-Byte is the official newsletter of the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group (FRPCUG): our mailing address is 305 W. Magnolia #152, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521.
Opinions expressed in k-Byte are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the group or its members. Publication of information in k-Byte constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use of any information found in this publication is at the sole risk of the user. Neither k-Byte, nor its officers, nor k-Byte, nor its editors or contributors assume any liability for damages resulting from use of information in this publication.

Submissions

Articles, letters and short items of interest on computer-related topics are welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for publication are subject to editing. Send your contribution to the editor via the FRPCUG electronic bulletin board system (BBS) or submit on disk. The deadline for articles is listed in the Calendar of Upcoming Events in each issue of k-Byte. If you have questions about a submission, please contact the editor for information.

Copyright

k-Byte is copyrighted ã1996 by the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group. Unless otherwise noted, other nonprofit users groups may reprint or quote from any articles appearing in k-Byte without prior permission, provided that proper author and publication credits are given and that a copy of the publication in which the article appears is sent at no cost to k-Byte at the above mailing address. User groups wishing to exchange newsletters with FRPCUG are invited to send a copy of their newsletter together with an exchange request.
IBM PC, OS/2, Compaq, MS-DOS, UNIX, Windows and other trademarks occasionally mentioned in k-Byte are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc., Compaq Corporation, Microsoft, Digital Research, AT&T or their owners respectively. Neither FRPCUG nor its newsletter k-Byte are connected in any way with any manufacturer or seller. We, however, gratefully acknowledge sponsorship of our group by Data Service Center, Jim Becker, owner.

Advertising

Classified advertising is free to members for non-business ads. See “Trading Post” for pricing for camera-ready display ads. Charges for ad makeup from sketches, etc., are available on request. Deadline for camera-ready and classified ads is listed in the Calendar of Upcoming Events. Deadline for ad-makeup is the same as for articles.

About FRPCUG

FRPCUG is an independent nonprofit computer society, open to anyone interested in MS-DOS, OS/2, or UNIX microcomputers. Its purpose is to provide an educational and scientific forum of mutual benefit for members of the micro-computer community. FRPCUG holds a monthly meeting and conducts various special interest groups (SIGS) and seminars. Members have voting privileges, free use of the FRPCUG and PC-SIG software libraries, subscription to k-Byte newsletter, SIGs and selected seminars and privileged access to the FRPCUG BBS. Annual dues are $25 for individual/family membership and $50 for corporate/group membership.

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Scribe's Corner
June Meeting Report
By Mike Meyer

35 people attended the June meeting, reflecting the beginning of the summer vacation months. During the Announcements Period, Glen York reminded the group that there will be an introductory course on Internet e-mail offered at the Senior Center on Saturday, June 12th, from 9 a.m. till noon. In addition, there will be courses on designing your own web-page on Thursday, July 8th, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and on searching the Internet for information on Saturday, July 17th, from 9:00 a.m. till noon, at that location. There is a nominal charge for these courses, since they are hosted by the Senior Center. Chuck McJilton reminded us about the monthly Internet meetings at the Stone Lion Bookstore on the first Monday of each month starting at 7 p.m.

During the Open Forum Session, a number of perplexing problems were discussed. They included possible cause(s) for a high-pitched whine that occurred when powering down within Windows (a looming hard disk failure?); bootup failures and/or program lock-ups (accumulation of incomplete files in Windows TEMP directory?); AOL upgrading and access difficulties; and undesirable accumulation of old e-mail files on servers. Rick Mattingly then warned against cleaning out the old Windows TEMP files from DOS, if still within Windows.

The Main Program was a very enjoyable and educational presentation by Karl Snyder of Digital Photography Internet Commerce. Karl is a Boulder-based professional photographer, who does a considerable amount of mountain photography, using both digital and 35mm cameras. In the latter case, he prepares digital images by scanning the photos for subsequent use in his work. He has done work for the National Park Service (e.g., Rocky Mountain National Park), such as park brochures, and some of this work was the basis for his presentation this evening. Karl very kindly provided much of this presentation on his web-site (www.rmnp.com/ftcollins), where it could be down-loaded by our membership. (It is possible that it is no longer available, as there was a time limit placed on its availability.) His presentation included information on file formats for photographs (GIF vs. JPEG), HTML Color Tags, Design Size (Target Size), Programs (e.g., Adobe Photoshop 5.0 and Hot Metal 5.0), creating background effects and images, and an Open Topics session to discuss scanners, cameras, etc. Karl also demonstrated his skills in creating special effects within the photos by appropriate use of the computer. It seemed that everyone present thoroughly appreciated Karl's efforts on our behalf. Anyone interested in contacting Karl can reach him at his business web-site (www.karl@mountain-mall.com or by phone at (303)499-5799. Special thanks go to President Rick Mattingly and Glen York for arranging this program. The quality of this program demonstrated once again the value of being a member of FRPCUG.

July Meeting Report
By Rick Mattingly for Mike Meyer

It was announced that we will not have a General Forum Meeting in August due to maintenance scheduled for the Fort Collins Senior Center facilities the first week of August. There will be a regularly scheduled Board Meeting in August however.

We had a distinguished guest attend the meeting this month. Dick Snell, longtime FRPCUG member, was back in town for a family reunion from his new home in Oregon and saw fit to visit his old friends. It was great to see Dick again!

We had a lively Open Forum session this month with much news shared and several problems solved. Chuck McJilton and Glenn York, of JYM Information Services, described the schedule for a series of low-cost Internet related seminars which they will be providing through the Senior Center. These seminars are available to everyone, not just FCSC members. Check at the FCSC information desk for schedule and cost.

Rick Mattingly passed along information on a new, unique fax service available on the Internet at "eFax.com." Individual fax service is available free from eFax. Registering with this service results in assignment of a dedicated fax telephone number where your faxes are received, attached to an e-mail message and forwarded to the your personal e-mail address. To the sender of the fax, the process works just as if you have a dedicated fax machine and phone line. This is a very neat service which provides a hassle-free solution to the issue of maintaining a dedicated fax line for individual or home office use. And, you can't beat the cost - Free! Why is this service free? eFax makes their money by also offering toll-free and enhanced fax services for a monthly fee. The price for these enhanced services appear to be very competitive. By offering free, personal accounts they are able to bring these money-generating services to your attention. A very neat service and well worth checking out at eFax.com.

The program this evening was on the topic of Handheld PC's. Rick Mattingly, Don Anderson and Will Horton described HPC models which they personally utilize - Compaq, Hewlett Packard and Everex units. These amazing little computers are getting more powerful with each new generation and fill a unique portable productivity niche. For example, Rick described how he uses his Compaq C140 HPC to access the Internet through his cellular telephone.

See you in September.

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FrontPage 98
Software review by Arnold Stevens

Publisher: Microsoft
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Personal or multimedia computer with a 486 or higher processor Microsoft Windows® operating system or later, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation operating system 4.0 or later, or Microsoft Windows NT Server
4.0 or later (will not run on earlier versions)
16 MB of memory for use on Windows 95; 32 MB for use on Windows NT
36 MB of available hard-disk space required
VGA or higher-resolution video adapter (Super VGA, 256-color recommended)
Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft IntelliMouse™, or compatible pointing device
Online features require Internet access; access to and use of the Internet require payment of a separate fee to a service provider
Additional hard-disk requirements for included tools:
11 MB for Microsoft Internet Explorer
1 MB for Microsoft Personal Web Server for Windows 95
2 MB for Internet Mail and News
To use Microsoft Image Composer, you need:
486/66 Mhz processor or higher (Pentium processor recommended)
16 MB of memory (32 MB recommended)
Hard-disk space required: 28 MB minimum; 44 MB typical depending on configuration
VGA, 640 x 480 24 -bit TrueColor with 2 MB of video memory recommended)
Microsoft Image Composer options:
Windows-compatible tablet with mouse emulation for basic mouse support, or WinTab-compatible tablet for Full Pressure support
TWAIN-compatible scanners or digital cameras
LIST PRICE: $149 est. street price
EQUIPMENT USED FOR REVIEW: AMD-K6 200 System, 2.1GB Hard Drive, 64MB RAM, Logitech Mouseman Mouse, 17" VGA Monitor, Epson Stylus Color Printer, Microtek ScanMaker E3 Color Flatbed Scanner, Casio QV100 digital camera, US Robotics 33,600 Internal Fax/Modem, Netscape web browser.

If you have been thinking about creating a Web Site and have put it off because you thought it was just too complicated, Microsoft FrontPage 98 is a program that will change your mind. There are many features and tools included with the program but for me, the most important thing about the whole package is the ease of use. Even if you don't have any experience in Web Site creation, the tutorial included with Microsoft FrontPage 98 will have you up and running in almost no time.

Don't let this ease fool you though, the title of the program tells it all: Microsoft FrontPage 98, Web Site Creation and Management Tool for Professional Web Sites Without Programming. Several applications are included with this package to help you with all this: FrontPage 98 which includes Microsoft FrontPage Editor and FrontPage Explorer for creating and managing your web site; the Microsoft Personal Web Server tool; Microsoft Image Composer for image editing; along with Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.

One of the improvements included with this version of FrontPage is in the Microsoft Explorer you can select from 7 different views to view your work..

I liked the Navigation view which organizes your site in an org-chart type setting. In this view, you can double click on one of the folders (HTML pages) and that page comes up in the Microsoft FrontPage Editor where you can make changes to the page. (While in this FrontPage Editor view, you can edit the page and it is just how that page will look on the web.

One of the things that set apart good web sites, is their "Look" and "Feel". With FrontPage 98, you can get that by using the new Themes function. You can select from 62 themes which include backgrounds, buttons, text fonts and border arrangements. This theme you select will be applied across the board to every page you create. One of the features included with FrontPage 98 is the ability to publish your Web site to the Internet. However, you need to be aware of an item that may effect your decision to use Microsoft FrontPage 98. The Publish to Internet feature is excellent and does the job all by itself, but in order for it to work, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) must have the Microsoft FrontPage extensions loaded on their site and especially in your personal directory at their site. My ISP uses these extensions but in order to load them in my personal folder I would have to pay an initial fee of $10 and then an additional $5 fee each month thereafter. Also, I could not use that folder for anything other than Microsoft FrontPage and I had to use Microsoft FrontPage 98 to make changes to my web site. I am not ready to make that commitment. However, I can see that professional web site designers could well make use of FrontPage 98. It is a very good program and extremely easy to use. The end result is a very professional looking Web Site.

Perry, GA P.C. User Group

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My Spell Checker

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pee sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait aweigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

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Do You Need A Web Site?
by Helen Gallagher

Where are you on the Information Highway

Some of us might consider the topic as a new high in self-aggrandizement, but perhaps not; read on. Have you an interest and a need? Read on.

If you've moved beyond the basics of searching the World Wide Web, and are enjoying your time online, you may be wondering if you're ready to tackle having your own Web site. Or, you may want to save this article for a later time, when you feel a bit adventurous.

Most of the Web sites we visit in our daily browsing are large sites built to serve a specific purpose or deliver information. Most of the millions of Web sites in existence however, are personal home pages built by individuals. Why? Well, many people just want to have a presence on the Web, or direct people to their page to see photos or review information, such as skills, hobbies, family interest, travel diaries, and more. Beyond personal home pages, small businesses and entrepreneurs often feel having a Web page gives them the stature of their bigger competitors, shows they are keeping up with technology, and provides an inexpensive alternative to a static brochure.

If a Web site, or page, sounds like it would interest you, let's take a look at some of the alternative ways to create a site.

Web Site Components

If you are using the latest versions of your word processing program, such as Word, Corel, or Lotus WordPro, you will note you can create text in a regular document, and then choose File / Save As and save it as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). For those who might claim to care, HTML is the jargon for a set of conventions for marking, unseen how by the user, portions of documents so that when passed over by your browser, e.g., Netscape Navigator or MS Internet Explorer-there is a minor miracle of creation which results usually in a few blued and underlined words inviting clicks for cross-referencing on and on, then back and back. It's one of the wonders of the Internet.

You can also save a file in HTML that is created in PowerPoint or MS Publisher, as well as commercial software products, such as MS Front Page, that specifically guide you through the process. Beyond the basic text, you choose borders, buttons that people can click on, a background color, and some graphics to provide visual interest. Thousands of free graphics are available on the Web. You can do a search, using a search engine for the term clipart or animated gif (graphical interface file) and you'll find more than you could imagine. When you find an image you like, just right-click with your mouse, and choose to save the file, or just copy it. and then paste it in your Web document. One well known graphic site is www/freesite.com. Creating the text is the biggest stumbling block for most people, but lets take a look at a simple setup.The Jones Family Chronicle Ed and Eleanor welcome you to our family page. We'd like to save stamps and share our news with friends around the world.

Click here to read about:

• KIDS' ACHIEVEMENTS
• TRAVEL PLANS FAMILY
• REUNION AT YELLOWSTONE
• MOM'S RECIPE COLLECTION
• PHOTOS OF THE NEW BABY

You get the idea. The site is composed of headings for information you want to feature. You choose whether you crowd all the related text under the headings, making a full page that might be distracting, or create what is called a 'link' so that when people click on the headings shown above, they are taken directly to that portion of your site. Links are better.

Links to other sites you find interesting, such as a genealogy site, your home-town newspaper, and more can be added by typing in its URL. (URL is more tech talk for Uniform Resource Locator, sort of high Latin for Web site address; its advantages over the plainer words include compactness and a soothing sound.)

Keep in mind though, that a good Web site holds the viewer's interest, it doesn't eagerly send them away to view another linked site too soon. So put your links further down on your page unless they serve an informative purpose at the top. Don't let the concept of a 'page' be limiting for you. Web sites that are considered 'one page' are usually the equivalent of about one legal size piece of paper, which is about 3 screens of data. A three page Web site therefore, would be several screens, or 'click-throughs' to different segments of information. In reality, sites exist according to size of the file in kilobytes or megabytes, rather than physical length of pages.

Most Internet service providers (ISP) offer their members at least 2 megabytes (MB of storage space for their Web site, at no charge. Graphic files are large, but text can grow to thousands of words without nearing that limit. A full page of text is only about 4 KB kilobytes). 1000 KB equals I MB so 2 MB is a generous size for a Web site without too many graphic files. Some free hosting sites, such as America Online and GeoCities offer 10 MB or more of space. Not bad for free.

If You Build It, Will They Come?

No one but you will ever see your Web site if it is stored on your own computer, since you wouldn't have people dialing in to your computer to view it. It isn't visible to the world until you transfer the file (upload) to your ISP for them to store it on their server.

Even then, people will only get to it if you tell them the Web address, which is known, remember, as the URL (uniform resource locator), such as www.earthlink.net/home/ johnson~1.htm or www.aol.com/home/ nelson~ faml/, for example, When you make changes to the site, you then re-submit the file to the ISP to replace the older version. Getting listed in search engines Once your site is posted on your ISP's server, you must get it listed in search engines if you expect people to find it. Search engines, programs which locate designated key terms and which have cutesy names, such as Yahoo, Infoseek, Excite, HotBot, and WebCrawler allow you to list your site, sometimes referred to as “Add your URL” at their site.

You list your Web address and the critical keywords under which you want to be listed, such as your family name, and subjects like photography, genealogy, Beanie Baby prices, etc. That way, individuals searching the Web for those terms can find your site.

GeoCities is an example of a site that is organized by ,neighborhoods.' You determine the topic areas where you want to be listed, and are then found when people go to www.geocities.com looking for sites with a related theme service called www.submit-it.com offers to list you in 12 different search engines for free.

What's In A Name?

A domain name allows you to have a name for your site that identifies it and is unique to you. Instead of a tag at the end of the address for your service provider, as shown above, your own domain name could be www.golfstar.com or www.famouscook.com or www.albertsfamily.com. Having, a domain name requires an investment of over $100 to register the name with the Internet, the committee that tracks all domain names, and a higher monthly cost to maintain it. Pricing varies greatly, so it is worth investigation if a unique domain name is important to your success on the Web.

Whatever your Web address, be sure to feature it on any correspondence, literature, and at the signature line of your e-mail messages, so people will know where to find you.

Maintenance

Keeping the content fresh for return visits, or specializing in a unique area of interest, such as dialog from Deep Space Nine, or Beanie Baby trading prices, is essential to bringing people back to your site again and again. There are thousands of out-of-date Web sites posted on servers around the world, because people create them and never revisit or update them.

Some ISP's will delete sites that are not visited or updated within a certain time period, such as six months. If you have links to other sites on your Web page, you are also responsible for keeping those links up-to-date. Test them periodically to be sure they are accurate.

Making Money?

If your hope in building a Web site is that you will use it to take orders or sell products, you will want to state that purpose, and perhaps design an order form. You couldn't likely use a Web site to take credit card orders without using a professional firm to host your site. They would use a specially encrypted server to protect credit card transactions. You would also need a merchant account with the credit card company through a bank. If you offer product photos, you might state that people can click to send e-mail to you, or call a telephone number to place orders. As a beginner, you'll likely feel most comfortable in a selling venture if you get listed in some of the shopping malls that have sprouted up on the Web, such as ClickRewards, SkyMall, and GeoCities.

Let's Review

You create the text, or copy, in a program such as your word processor, Microsoft Publisher, PowerPoint, or a true Web site development program such as Front Page. Design or import any graphics, fancy fonts, and colors you wish. Remember not to make your site too graphic intensive, as that does slow the process of loading the page. You don't want visitors to your site to be bored waiting for the page to load.

• Get the site posted on your ISP's server.
• Begin listing the URL in search engines.
• Think up new uses and creative ideas to keep your site fresh. Update it at least quarterly.

Reprint from Hard-Copy, The Journal of The Chicago Computer Society, Vol. 14, No. 10, October 1998.

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A LEAP OF FAITH

A kangaroo kept getting out of his enclosure at the zoo. Knowing that he could hop high, the zoo officials put up a ten foot high fence. He was out the next morning, just roaming around the zoo.

A twenty-foot fence was put up. Again he go out.

When the fence was forty feet high, a camel in the next enclosure asked the kangaroo, "How high do you think they'll go?"

The kangaroo said, "About a thousand feet, unless somebody locks the gate at night!"

Thanks to Brad Kell

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Y2K TERMINOLOGY: FIRMWARE
from TipWorld
http://www.idg.net

Although the main focus of Y2K testing is on software, another area that you need to cover is firmware. Firmware includes memory chips that hold their content without electrical power, including ROM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM technologies. If these chips use dates to perform their tasks, they may need to be updated or replaced. You'll find firmware in many computing and electrical products.

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Graphics Files:.gif and .jpeg
By Carrington Dixon

One of the major problems with graphics on computers is that graphics take up lots of resources. Files containing graphics are almost always large. They take up lots of disk space, and what is even worse, they take a long time to transmit across a modem connection.

GIF and JPEG both refer to file formats designed to alleviate these ills by compressing the graphical data. Unfortunately, graphical data can be so huge that there is no way to compress it into a reasonable size without making tradeoffs. Both GIF and JPEG do this, but in some-what different ways; so that, each file format has its strengths and weaknesses.

I believe that the GIF format is the older format. It was originally designed for use on the CompuServe network for graphical files that were stored there for download by CompuServe members. The JPEG format was designed by the Joint Photographic Expert Group. This format was optimized for use with photographic images. The differences between these two formats stem from their design goals.

Colors and shades: Because the JPEG format was intended for photo-graphic images, it is capable of handling an unlimited number of colors and shades. The GIF format would seem to have been designed in the days when 256 was the maximum number of colors available on PC workstations, because that is the maximum number of colors that a GIF file can support. When presented with a larger number of colors, a GIF creation program will attempt to fool the eye into thinking that it sees more colors that it actually does. It does this with a process called dithering, where two colors are placed side by side so as to look like a single intermediate color.

GIF files work best for pictures with a limited range of colors. JPEG files work best with pictures with a wide range of colors and with gradual changes from one color area to the next.

Cartoons: The JPEG file format works very poorly with cartoon types of drawings, especially with black and white drawings with sharp demarcations; such as most newspaper or other printed cartoons. The GIF format handles these just fine; notice what format is used when you see cartoons reproduced on the net. The Sunday color strips may be JPEG's, but the black and white daily strips are al-most always GIF's. However, not all drawings are best rendered in GIF format. Drawings in many shades of gray may benefit from JPEG compression; sometimes, it is best to try both formats and to see which works best for this particular picture.

Photographs: The JPEG format will produce smaller files than will GIF when dealing with photographic or near photographic images. The farther we get from near-photographic quality, the better GIF will do as compared to JPEG. For graphics with sixteen or fewer colors, not only will the GIF format produce a better image, but it will also produce a smaller file.

[PC-Talk] May 3 1999, Copyright © 1999

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RESUME MAKER
by Tom Ekvall

Writing your own resume is never an easy task to do. Especially if you are looking for employment in more than one occupational area. Or maybe different skills or backgrounds are best suited in working for one company rather than another.

Before the age of the computer, typewriters were used and any changes meant having to retype the resume over. And one printed resume had to fit almost all available job openings.

Things have changed now with computers as resumes can be easily customized by almost anyone to meet their job search needs.

One popular resume program on the market is ResumeMaker by Individual Software, whose product can be used on both computers with Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. In fact, the company has several versions of the same product on the market with job search advice by different career counselors.

The one nice thing about ResumeMaker is that it gives you everything you need for a successful job hunt whether you are just out of college or a seasoned veteran in the workforce. It has a career center complete with videos where a professional career counselor helps you through the job search process and offers advice on every facet of a job search campaign, such as how to interview more effectively, how to prepare your resume and cover letter, how to research employers and how to assess what you might be most interested in doing. The product reviewed was the Deluxe version which came with expert advice from Richard Fein and Career Planner, which helps you develop a personal profile of skills, abilities, and interests through interactive exercises. Another version called ResumeMaker with Career Planning has the same information to create resumes and cover letters but features another career expert and which also offers an exhaustive database about almost any occupational area.

The program gives you several different ways to design your resume and describes how to choose which format may be better. You simply then enter the information and choose which formatting option you like. If you decide to change the format for the resume, you simply click to the changes you want and presto! you have a new resume. You can also add or delete information for different career objectives and save each one to a different file name.

The resume program provides an extensive list of sample resumes for various occupations you can look at to get ideas along with samples of various types of cover letters.

One thing nice about the program is the ability to fax, email or put the resume online though the Internet to various resume banks that employers can access. The program reformats the resume into a usable format on the Internet and posts the resume to every major resume bank.

The program also assists you in using the Internet to search for job openings, access company profiles and browse through articles posted on every facet of job hunting.

Another valuable tool in the program for someone doing an extensive job search campaign is the contact manager included with enable you to keep records on the companies you contact, results of inquiries, and a calendar to post upcoming interviews.

One thing nice about the program is that technical support is available through a toll-free number Monday through Friday and is interested in comments from users about the product. Another nice thing I liked about the program is that it has a very informative user manual, one of the best I have seen for resume programs. I have almost every one since I help others do resumes.

Another aspect that I liked is the flexibility the program gives you in designing your resume, although you are limited to ten customized versions (which should be sufficient for most).

ResumeMaker gives you the opportunity when writing your cover letter to choose from a list of sample paragraphs and identify those which best fit what you want to write. Some paragraphs have fill in the blanks. This makes writing the cover letter easier for those who have problems deciding what to say to an employer.

I would give the program a thumbs up for someone interested in writing their own resume and cover letters.

Specifications require either a 486 or Pentium PC with at least 8 MB RAM. The product come on a CD ROM and used 6 MB of space on the hard drive.

Fox Valley Technical College Personal Computer Users Group

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Calendar of Events

- IMPORTANT NOTICE -
FRPCUG meetings are held at the Fort Collins Senior Center. Check below for directions to the Senior Center.

August General Forum Meeting

No General Forum Meeting this month due to maintenance at the Fort Collins Senior Center!

September General Forum Meeting

We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on Tuesday, September 7 at 7:00pm.

Meeting Agenda
7:00 - 7:15 Announcements
7:15 - 7:45 Open Forum
7:45 - 8:00 Break
8:00 - 9:30 Searching the Internet - Tips on finding what you need within the ever-increasing black hole known as the Internet.

See you at the meetings!

Directions
The Fort Collins Senior Center is located at 1200 Raintree Drive. This site is situated at the northwest corner of the Shields and West Drake intersection, on the north side of the Raintree Shopping Center and just one-half mile east of our normal meeting location. Check the marquee at the main entrance for directions to the specific meeting room.

Up-Coming SIG's, Seminars and Meetings

Board Meeting
FRPCUG's executive board meets on the Thursday immediately following the General Forum Meeting at 7:00 p.m. All members are welcome and are encouraged to attend. These meetings are held in the Poudre Fire Authority administrative meeting room which is located in the parking garage building, at the corner of Remington and Mountain in Fort Collins.

LINUX SIG
This SIG, supporting the LINUX implementation of the UNIX operating system, meets at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month. Participants have adopted the LINUX manual titled "RUNNING LINUX" by Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman as their learning tool and will be reviewing a section of the manual at each meeting. Meetings are held in the basement meeting room of the Friends Church, 601 S. Whitcomb Street in Fort Collins. Coordinators: Glenn York (224-5266) and Chuck McJilton (493-2987) or e-mail at linuxsig@jymis.com.

Northern Front Range Netware Users Group
NFRNUG meets at 5:30 pm on the second Wednesday of each month at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife building, 2101 Oakridge Drive in Fort Collins. NFRNUG meetings are open to any users that are involved with Novell networking products and integration of other networking products into the Novell environment (Unix, NT, Mac, etc.). Contact Jim Stephens at 303-541-3376 or jcsteph@concentric.net or contact Chuck Kluko at 970-663-4770 or c.kluko@ix.netcom.com for further membership information. Yearly dues are $000.00 (yes, FREE) with pizza and pop served at 5:00 pm prior to meeting. Saturday labs and training sessions open to NRFNUG members only, space is limited.

Rocky Mountain Internet Users Group
Meets on the second Tuesday of 'odd' months at NCAR in Boulder. Meetings start at 7:00 pm, but members are encouraged to arrive at 6:30 pm for informal networking and refreshments. NCAR is located in Boulder at 1850 Table Mesa Drive. Contact Chuck McJilton for information (493-2987) or e-mail rmiug@rmiug.org.

Telecommuncation SIG
Telecommunication SIG meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Topics usually discussed include modem hardware, communication software, internet resources, and solutions to any communication problems and questions brought up at the meeting. Please contact coordinator Chuck McJilton (493-2987) for confirmation of the meeting place or e-mail Telecomsig@jymis.com.

Web Design SIG
If you're an HTML author/WEB page designer, or would like to learn, contact SIG coordinator Doug Boicourt at 495-6949 or e-mail db@jymis.com for the date and location of the next SIG meeting.

RIBUG Meeting
The Regional Internet Business Users Group (RIBUG) deals with issues of business utilization of the Internet. This group meets the last Wednesday of each month. Contact Will Horton in Fort Collins at 223-0330 or e-mail whorton@jymis.com for details.

Internet Safari
Free Internet discussion group meets first Monday at Stone Lion Book Store in Fort Collins. Meetings start at 7:00 pm. Sponsored by Stone Lion and JYM Information Systems. Coordinators: Glenn York (224-5266) and Chuck McJilton (493-2987).

Upcoming FRPCUG Meetings
Along with presentations of new hardware and software, we will certainly continue to present tips, hints, solutions, as well as what is new with Public Domain and Shareware offerings. If you have ideas for presentations which you would like to see at future General Forum meetings or seminars, please let us know. We would appreciate the input and opportunity to improve your meetings.

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August 1999

3 No General Forum Meeting This Month!
9 HTML SIG Meeting 7:00PM
11 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM
NRFNUG Meeting 5:00PM
19 Telcomm SIG 7:00PM
25 RIBUG Meeting 7:00PM
26 LINUX SIG 7:00PM

September 1999

6 Labor Day
7 FRPCUG General Forum Meeting 7:00PM
8 FRPCUG Board Meeting 7:00PM
NRFNUG Meeting 5:00PM
13 HTML SIG Meeting 7:00PM
16 Telcomm SIG 7:00PM
22 RIBUG Meeting 7:00PM
23 LINUX SIG 7:00PM

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Letter To A Computer Addict

To my darling husband,

I'm sending you this letter in a bogus software company envelope so you'll be sure to read it. Please forgive the deception, but I thought you should know what's been going on since your computer entered our lives two years ago.

The children are doing well. Tommy is 7 now and is a bright, handsome boy. He has developed quite an interest in the arts. He drew a family portrait for a school project. All the figures were good, but yours was excellent!!. The chair and back of your head are very realistic. You would be proud of him. Little Jennifer turned 3 in September. She looks a lot like you did at that age. She is an attractive child and quite smart. She still remembers that you spent the whole afternoon with us on her birthday. What a grand day for Jen despite the fact that it was stormy and the electricity was out.

I am doing well. I went blond about a year ago and was delighted to discover that it really was more fun.

I discovered that the household chores are much easier since I realized that you don't mind being vacuumed and that the feather duster makes you sneeze. The house is in good shape. I had the living room painted last spring. I'm not sure if you noticed it. I asked the painters to cut air holes in the drop cloths so you wouldn't be disturbed.

Well Dear, I must be going. The family is leaving on a ski trip and there is much packing to do. I've hired a housekeeper to take care of things while we are away. She'll keep things in order, fill your coffee cup and bring your meals to the computer room just the way you like it. I hope you and the computer have a lovely time while we are gone. Tommy, Jen and I think of you often. Try to remember us while your disks are booting.

Love, Mary

Thanks to Doug Boicourt


"I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." -- Lily Tomlin

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Parallel Port Zip Drive Tip
by Rick Mattingly

The Iomega Parallel Port model Zip drive is a very popular device, especially due to the fact that it is an external drive which may be easily moved between computers. One downside to the external model though is speed. The internal IDE or SCSI models of the Zip drive provide a considerably faster file transfer rate.

To offset this slower transfer rate Iomega provides a software tool called the "Parallel Port Accelerator." While still not as fast as the internal models, the Accelerator does provide a noticeable increase in the file transfer rate and is a usefully and welcome utility. To utilize the Accelerator you simply run it one time and the transfer rate for the parallel port involved is set to a higher rate from that point forward.

However, be aware that the Accelerator tool may cause problems with other parallel devices which you may have chained through the Zip drive. For example, the Accelerator is known to cause conflicts with some software interfaces for parallel port model optical scanners. If you experience this problem your options are to either move the problem device to a second parallel port or to deactivate the Parallel Port Accelerator. However, there is no provision within the Accelerator utility to deactivate it.

To deactivate the Parallel Port Accelerator you need to use the Win95/98 Device Manager, using the following directions as provided by Iomega Tech Support:

1. Open Device Manager by selecting 'Start', point to 'Settings' and then click on 'Control Panel".
2. Within the Control Panel, double-click on the 'System' icon.
3. Within the System Properties screen choose the 'Device Manager' tab.
4. Within Device Manager, click on the plus (+) symbol next to 'SCSI Controllers'.
5. Double-click on the Iomega Parallel Port Interface.
6. Click the settings tab.
7. Delete any text located on the Adapter Settings line (these are the changes the Accelerator has made).
8. Click OK.
9. Reboot your computer.

Once the computer has been rebooted, the system will revert to the default parallel port settings once again. These settings will remain at default until you should choose to run the Parallel Port Accelerator again. This should correct the conflict with the second device.

By the way, remember that you can still improve the access speed of your Parallel Port model ZIP drive in Windows 95/98 by going to My Computer > Control Panel > System Properties > Performance > Removable Disk and choosing the option to “Enable write-behind caching of all removable disk drives.”

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Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business Edition

Easily Customize Photos and Create Professional Documents

by Jay R. Kim

Manufacturer: Adobe System Incorporated
345 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
www.adobe.com

System Requirements:
Pentium (MMX recommended)
Windows 95,98, NT 4.0 with sp 3 or later
32 MB recommended
140 MB hard-disk space
24-bit true color display recommended
CD-ROM drive
Sound card
32-bit TWAIN data source or Adobe Photoshop compatible plug-in

In today's world of never ending changes, here is a category of software program, which is now a standard for all home computer users with a scanner. A photo editing program for the general public for around $50. There are many such programs out there today but the two that stand out every year are the: Adobe's PhotoDeluxe (home or business edition) and Microsoft's Picture It (99). In my case, I will be reviewing the Adobe's product and at the end of this report I will give everyone my personal opinion on which I liked better!

Installation of the program was very simple and straightforward. (Just remember to disable any virus programs installed before you start.) Insert the CD and follow the easy directions. The business edition contains the following software:

The PhotoDeluxe Business Edition software- includes program files, utility and templates. Storm EasyPhoto organizer- helps you manage your photos in convenient groups called galleries. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Adobe Connectables- bring you new and updated PhotoDeluxe Business tips and resources over the World Wide Web.

Adobe Type Manager (ATM) software and Adobe fonts- improve font appearance on-screen and let you print PostScript fonts on non- PostScript printers. Adobe Acrobat Reader software- lets you view on-line documents that have been saved as PDF files with the original graphics, type, and layout intact.

When you first start the program, the first thing everyone must do is to acquire a photo. In this program there are many ways of getting the photo: scanners, disc-CD, Internet, digital cameras, files, clip art or from sample photos included in the software. The most often used method is by the use of a scanner. This process is very simple. All you have to do is click the scanner button and watch as the Adobe imports the image through your scanner program and into Adobe. Once in, you have the standard options available to save the image to: disc, hard drive, removable storage discs or within Adobe's gallery.

Touching Up a Photo

Now to the good stuff! With the image on the big screen, you can start the editing process. Not all photos are perfect right out of the camera or off a scanner. That is why touching up is one of the most common photo-editing activities everyone will perform. After you get a photo into PhotoDeluxe Business, examine it to see if it is ready to use, and make any necessary adjustments. You can correct common photo problems using the Touch Up and Repair tabs. In the Touch Up tab you have several options: automatic intelliFix color adjustment, adjust color option, adjust appearance, adjust size and orientation, adjust sharpness, change color to B&W, straighten crooked photos and rotate photos. The steps are all very simple and easy to follow. Program will walk you through step by step (no training necessary). Most home users will find that this program offers enough adjustments to perform the routine and basic editing functions. Do not expect to perform advanced functions, for that you need to move up to the professional versions.

Adding Text

You can add text to a photo using the Text tool. You can color, move, resize and distort text. If you use PostScript or TrueType fonts, text stays sharp and smooth as you resize and distort it. When you save the photo in a different file format than PhotoDeluxe Business, for example, BMP or JPEG, text becomes part of the photo and you cannot edit it in the new file. After typing in the text, you can select the font, size, color and alignment. Once you have made your choices and click OK, you can drag the text to any location on the photo. It is that easy.

Using Templates

In addition to numerous sample photos and clip art, PhotoDeluxe Business includes hundreds of templates - collections of layouts, fonts and colors with a cohesive design. After you touch up and customize your photos, simply drop them into templates to create business stationary, direct mail, Web graphics and more. Once again the process is very simple and the program will guide the user step by step until completion.

Advanced Features

As you gain experience with photo editing, you can go beyond the built-in guided activities. You can use advanced features to enhance a guided activity or when you want to do something by accessing the tools in a free-form way. Some of the advanced features include: cut, copy, paste, duplicate, delete, delete background and layering. Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business Edition is a simple and easy program for all beginner and intermediate users. Anyone looking for more should look into the professional editing programs. For most users, this is a good way to get started on photo editing. It is worth the money compared to most of the other computer software programs out there today. If you have a scanner, this type of a program is a must.

Last but not least, how does this program compare to the Microsoft's Picture It 99? My recommendation is for the Picture It 99. Both programs are very similar in many ways, but the Microsoft's Picture It 99 offers more variety and options not found in Adobe's PhotoDeluxe Business Edition. Either way both programs are winners!

Utah Blue Chips newsletter, Utah Computer Society

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WINDOWS INSIDER
by Valerie Ryan
PC World TipWorld
http://www.idg.net

WINDOWS 98 SE AND SP1 MAKE QUIET ENTRANCES

Ladies and gentlemen, it's finally here! In case you haven't heard, Windows 98 SE has hit retail stores, and the upgrade CD is now available on Microsoft's Web site.

If you don't already have Windows 98 and you want to buy it (for about $90), make sure that the copy you buy is, in fact, the SE version and not the original. To be sure, look for the sticker that says "Second Edition" on it, NOT "New Edition."

If you already have Windows 98 and want to upgrade to SE, you can order the Windows 98 Second Edition Upgrade CD from Microsoft. Point your Web browser to

http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-0622wi%2C00.html

click the link under Option #3 and follow the bouncing ball. As mentioned in a previous tip, the update will cost you about 20 bucks ($19.95, plus $5 shipping and handling, to be exact).

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FREE Internet Discussion Group

JYM Information Systems and the Stone Lion Book Store are sponsoring a monthly "Internet Safari" discussion group. This group meets at 7 PM in the Stone Lion the first Monday of each month. This is an open discussion and we examine current issues involving the Internet, how to use the Internet and subjects raised by those present. This group is open to the public without cost or obligation. This is a good chance learn how others are using the Internet.

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The Bright Side of Y2K

January 1, 2000

Re: Vacation Pay

Dear Valued Employee:

Our records indicate that you have not used any vacation time over the past 100 year(s). As I'm sure you are aware, employees are granted 3 weeks of paid leave per year or pay in lieu of time off. One additional week is granted for every 5 years of service.

Please either take 9,400 days off work or notify our office and your next pay check will reflect payment of $ 8,277,432.22 which will include all pay and interest for the past 1,200 months.

Sincerely,

Automated Payroll Processing


Thanks to Brad Kell

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MICROSOFT WORKS 4.5 DELUXE 99
by Bob Lowe, FVTC PCUG member

Many users of Microsoft's Office Suite, which was released in 1997, have been anxiously awaiting the newest release, Office 2000, which is scheduled to hit the market this summer (for a $19.95 test version, log onto www.microsoft.com/office/preview)..

If you are getting a little impatient, you might just want to try another Microsoft product, Works Deluxe 99, that was just released.

I've been puzzled why this software has never taken off like its cousin, since it contains some very useful and easy to operate functions.

The three programs in the suite are Microsoft Works 4.5, an integrated software for use in the Windows environment, Microsoft Money 99 Basic, a tool for organizing and managing your finances and Microsoft Graphics Studio Greetings 99, a simple way of create personalized greetings, graphics and photos on your home PC.

Most impressive is the way Works Deluxe simplifies the process of creating documents. . When you tab into the Works Task Launcher, you are placed in touch with a Task Wizard that helps you create address book, letters, letterheads, newsletters, resumes, brochures, certificates, fax cover sheet, invoices, phone lists, memos, home inventory, labels, time sheets and mortgage/loan analysis.

For computer dummies like me, producing professionally looking documents is a snap. The Money 99 Basic also includes such features like expense tracking, debt-reduction planning, an electronic checkbook, a monthly report to give you an overview of your finances and your personal Financial Home Page, which contains personalized information, financial news and a snapshot of your finances.

The Graphics Studio Greeting 99 provides greetings with designs and messages from Hallmark. Or, if you prefer, or you can create your own personalized greeting cards, invitations and notes. Choose from 15,000 graphic images, 500 photos and 126 fonts.

The program also allows you to send personalized e-mail message with motion and sound over the Internet.

If you are one of those people that feel the upcoming Office 2000 Suite might just be too loaded with features to make it easily comprehensible and user-friendly, Works Deluxe 99 is a worthwhile alternative

The Works Deluxe 99 suite requires a PC with a Pentium 90 or higher, Microsoft Windows 95 or 98, 16 MB of RAM, quad speed of faster CD-ROM.drive and Super VGA 250-color or higher resolution monitor and between 235-340 MB.

The suite sells for a very affordable $54.95 but discounts are widely available. Some computer makers may even toss it in for with some computers they sell

Fox Valley Technical College Personal Computer Users Group

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MS EXCEL TIP - Alternate-Row Shading

One way to make your data legible is to apply cell shading to every other row in a range. In Excel 97 or later, select the range and choose Format, Conditional Formatting. In the Conditional Formatting dialog box, select Formula Is from the drop-down list, and enter this formula: =MOD(ROW(),2)=0. Click Format, select the Patterns tab, and specify a color for the shaded rows. Click OK twice and you're done! You'll find that the row shading persists even if you insert or delete rows within the original range.

PCWorld Online - January, 1999
http://www.pcworld.com/heres_how/article/0,1400,9061+3+0,00.html

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How To Survive A Heart Attack

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seems in order.

Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel faint has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.

However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without letup until help arrives or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keeps the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a phone and, between breaths, call for help.

Tell as many people as possible about this -- it could save their life!

And the beat goes on.

Reprinted from the Mended Hearts, Inc. publication Heart Response via the July, 1999 Pikes Peak Adventure League newsletter.

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Netzero - What A Deal! By Alice Bienvenu

Being newly self-employed, at least for the first year or so, every penny counts. I had even postponed getting an internet connection due to lack of funds. Even though I would have been able to write off the cost, I had been denying myself anything that would not be considered an absolute necessity.

One night a couple of weeks ago I was listening to the 10 o'clock news and could not believe what I was hearing - free internet service, check Netzero.com. The next day I called my knowledgeable Geek friend, Barbara, and asked her to check that URL for me. She downloaded the 4 meg program on her computer and then transferred it to my computer (an old Pentium 60) over my modem. Installation was a breeze, and it worked immediately. The only catch is a small advertisement box that will cause you to disconnect if you close it. I just moved it to the upper right-hand corner of my screen and have come to ignore it. The program has full graphics and E-mail capabilities.

You can call their toll-free number at 877-638-3117 and order a CD for installation. You need only to pay $6.95 for shipping and must pay for that with a credit card if you call this number. There are no other charges. Delivery time is 8-12 working days.

I am happy to once again be connected to the rest of the world. And the price was right. What a deal!

Netzero, Inc.
3835-R E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., #338
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Tel: 818-879-7250
FAX: 818-879-7257
http://www.netzero.com

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Wisdom From Senior Citizens

I started with nothing. I still have most of it.

When did my wild oats turn to prunes and all bran?

I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.

Funny, I don't remember being absent minded.

All reports are in. Life is now officially unfair.

If all is not lost, where is it?

It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.

If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished.

The first rule of holes: if you are in one, stop digging.

I tried to get a life once, but they told me they were out of stock.

I went to school to become a wit, only got halfway though.

It was so different before everything changed.

Some day's you're the dog, and some day's you're the hydrant.

Nostalgia isn't what it use to be.

Old programmers never die. They just terminate and stay resident.

A day without sunshine is like a day in Seattle.

I wish the buck stopped here! I could use a few.

Kids in the back seat cause accidents; accidents in the back seat cause kids.

It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end.

It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.

Living on Earth is expensive, But it does include a trip around the sun.

The only time the world beats a path to your door is if your in the bathroom.

If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would have put them on my knees.

Never knock on death's door, ring the bell and run (he hates that).

Lead me not into temptation (I can find the way myself).

Utah Blue Chips newsletter, Utah Computer Society

REMINDER

There will be no General Forum Meeting in August due to maintenance at the Fort Collins Senior Center. There will be an August Board Meeting at the regular time and place. See you at the September meeting!

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FRPCUG CONTACTS
Telephone Area Code 970


          FRPCUG Officers         Name            Work        Home      e-Mail 

          President               Rick Mattingly              223-6618  rmatt(at)jymis.com 

          Vice President          Don Anderson    498-3534    482-0943  dona(at)jymis.com

          Treasurer               Dennis Nimetz               686-2212  nimetz(at)ibm.net

          Secretary	          Mike Meyer      482-5600    223-0919  mmeyer(at)holnam.com




          k-Byte Staff

          Editor-in-Chief         Open - We need a volunteer!  Contact Rick Mattingly in interim.

          Features Editor         Open - We need a volunteer! 

          Calendar Editor         Rick Mattingly	      223-6618  rmatt(at)jymis.com

          Review Editor

          Advertising Coordinator Will Horton     223-0330    223-2154  whorton(at)will-design.com

          Team Member OS/2 Column Brad Kell	              495-1184  bkell(at)holly.ColoState.EDU

          Nuts & Bolts Column     Chuck McJilton  416-9286    493-2987  cdmcj(at)jymis.com

          On the Web Column       R. Glenn York   493-1895    224-5266  rgyork(at)jymis.com




          Other Contacts

          Membership Coordinator  Jack Linder                 663-2151  jelinder(at)aol.com

          Telecommunication SIG	

             and RMIUG	          Chuck McJilton  416-9286    493-2987  cdmcj(at)jymis.com  

          NRFNUG		  Chuck Kluko     663-4770 x224         c.kluko(at)ix.netcom.com

          Door Prize Coordinator  Will Horton     223-0330    223-2154  whorton(at)will-design.com

          HTML SIG		  Doug Boicourt   495-6949    495-6949  db(at)wwwdata.com

          Programmers SIG	    

          FRPCUG Fax Line	                  493-1408

          FRPCUG Home Page w/E-Mail               http://www.frpcug.org

          FRPCUG Officer E-Mail		          frpcug-offer(at)frpcug.org




          k-Byte

          Front Range PC Users Group

          305 W. Magnolia #152

          Fort Collins, CO  80521
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