 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla ash@melbpc.org.au |
 |
Few in this audience need the contraction "www" or the word "Web" explained - I am sure that all our readers know what they mean. Web sites have been around for seven years and we stopped counting them somewhere along the way.
We have seen Netscape Navigator mature from its university origins as a program named Mosaic in 1994 to its present, uncertain incarnation. I know that many people grimly cling to it as a silent protest against Microsoft
Internet Explorer (IE). Some proudly seek and use an "IE remover" because the browser has been embedded in recent versions of Windows.
I unashamedly use IE because I need access to information without worrying about browser compatibility. I already have IE, so why should I fill up my hard disk with another browser? My feelings about Netscape are almost the same as those for a struggling Korean car manufacturer. Is it my place to buy such a car if I think that GMH is getting too successful?
Search engines have also come and gone. AltaVista was my favourite for a long time but it has been replaced by Google as my preferred engine. AltaVista is in decline partly because people no longer show any interest in advertisements, if they ever did.
If you like an online resource, try and understand how they are able to provide a free service and see what you can do about it. If it means clicking on some banner ads now and then, you don't have to read the ads, so why not help them to help you. The dotcom bubble burst because of TANSTAAFL (There ain't no such thing as a free lunch).
Not Wasting Time
I cannot emphasise enough that time spent in learning how to search will pay handsome dividends. In our internal newsgroups (and elsewhere) I see people asking questions that waste their time and the time of others. Of course, they don't know that and many people enjoy helping others. These days, the answer to almost any common question is available somewhere on the Web; the challenge is to know how to find the best answer or any answer.
The solution is simple. Most search engines have a comprehensive online tutorial that will show you how to compose a complex query. Such queries nearly always require the use of the
"Advanced" search option. Be sure to read the "Advanced Search
Tips", particularly the "advanced operators". I prefer the
"near" operator.
My browsers are configured to open Google Advanced Search as the default page because nearly all my Web journeys begin with a search. I use the Google Toolbar, which is a free download from
http://www.google.com (its link is easy to find at the main page). It is handy when I am not already at the Advanced Search page, but I use it mainly to check the popularity of a Web page.
Google Groups
The second source of information is newsgroups. It is difficult to generalise whether they contain any better information than, say, personal Web pages. Yet, they do cover topics that may not be well-represented on Web sites. Google Groups has been trying to achieve the functionality of the service
it bought, DejaNews. See http://groups.google.com and select the Advanced option. With both Google services you will get more satisfaction from your searches if you use phrases and restrict the scope of the search.
Encourage Children
People sometimes say that our children will be working in jobs that don't exist today. My last two jobs have been in companies that depend on the Web for their existence. By showing your children or grandchildren how to use advanced search interfaces you will help to impart a useful life skill. It is also a good time to talk about the right and wrong way to use information that they find on the Web.
Windows XP
We received some criticism about the short Windows XP piece we ran last month, so I need to relate an unfortunate chain of events. Microsoft's PR company equated my finding a new job with my "leaving
PC Update". I won't go into the whole story but the bottom line is that I have not yet touched this interesting product. They are attempting to rectify matters, but it will be too late for this issue.
Fortunately, those of us who attended our last monthly meeting had a chance to see an impressive double-length presentation on Windows XP. Some of you won a copy of the
Home edition in the raffle or for answering questions. Please write to me if you have used this new operating system and have noted anything worthy of passing on to other readers.
I note that some members are stuck at, oops, happy to continue using Windows 95. If that is because of circumstances or if it meets your needs perfectly, then that is fine. If you can afford to upgrade, then Windows 98SE appears to be the most stable home version to date, but I don't know if anyone has stocks of it. My family PC came with Windows me and it has never presented a problem, although I have seen some criticism of it. As for Windows XP, I suggest that you wait a few months and get it with a brand new PC, or read some of the commercial reviews and make up your own mind.
Reprinted from the December 2001 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
