From the Editor
Our best wishes for a healthy and happy holiday! In keeping with the season, December's eNewsletter contains gifts for you. There's the gift of information about potentially damaging fake e-cards. There's the gift of learning with the tutorial on getting images to appear within incoming e-mail messages. And finally, there's the gift of fresh ideas. Look around the Great Sites for inspiration on what to do (and see) this month for fun, how to save money by regifting, and where to get free clipart for holiday projects.
Your Local Help Desk
Question: Why can't I see graphics on incoming holiday e-mail messages like I could last year? I get holiday cards from friends and relatives that include family photos and holiday graphics but I am unable to view them this year. I have not changed my computer or updated my e-mail software since last year. I use Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition and I use Outlook Express for my e-mail software.
Answer: Microsoft Corp. developed and released something called Service Pack 2 (SP2) in the fall of 2004 for Windows XP users. The purpose was to "patch holes" in some of Microsoft's software programs to help reduce the threat of e-mail viruses, e-mail worms, and hacker attacks. SP2 most specifically eliminated many of the vulnerabilities within its Internet Explorer browser and Outlook Express/Outlook software programs. Most Windows XP users have since downloaded SP2 onto their computers ˜ sometimes whether they have really realized it or not.
One of SP2's protective measures for Outlook Express and Outlook is to block images from being displayed within incoming e-mail messages as a default setting. Microsoft had discovered that some virus/worm threats arose from malicious code within the graphics of e-mail messages. Microsoft's solution was to prevent users from seeing any graphics within e-mail messages. This is probably the reason you are no longer able to see graphics within your
e-mail messages.
Luckily, Microsoft provides an easy option to allow images to appear within messages, either on a per e-mail basis or for all e-mail messages. For more information on how to see images and graphics within the message pane of incoming e-mail messages when using Outlook Express or Outlook, see the Tutorial Section toward the bottom of our newsletter below.
Warning! - Beware Of Fake E-cards This Season Although most e-cards are from legitimate sources, the holidays create a prime opportunity for hackers and spammers to take advantage of your festive spirit. 'Tis the season to be especially vigilant for fraudulent and potentially damaging e-cards. A wholesome-looking holiday greeting, once clicked or downloaded, might actually be:
~Spam or a spyware installer that displays pornography or other unwanted images on your desktop, or barrages you with pop-up ads.
~A computer virus that scans your e-mail addresses and then sends a bogus e-card to your personal and professional contacts without your knowledge.
The fake e-card and virus may even appear to be from you.
You don't have to let fake e-cards turn you into a Scrooge, however. To help avoid troubles, just apply the same caution you would use with any e-mail you receive:
~Never download or click on anything from any unknown source.
~Use and frequently update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
~Use a firewall.
~Don't accept an end-user agreement without reading the fine print first;
you might inadvertently agree to install spyware or something else you don't want.
If you're sending e-cards, you may want to stick to well-known and reputable sites such as http://www.bluemountain.com, http://www.hallmark.com, http://www.egreetings.com, and http://www.americangreetings.com.
Sites of the Month
Charlotte's Web On The Web
http://charlotteswebmovie.com
When E.B. White spun his tale called Charlotte's Web, families everywhere
fell in love with the book about loyalty, trust, and sacrifice at Zuckerman
Farm. This month, a live-action adaptation from Paramount opens in theaters.
The all-star cast features Julia Roberts as the voice of Charlotte and
Dakota Fanning as Fern, and also includes Steve Buscemi, John Cleese,
Oprah Winfrey, Kathy Bates, Reba McEntire, Robert Redford, and Beau Bridges.
Children will especially love the movie's site where they can meet the
animals in the barn and be called by name! You can also download games,
iron-ons, and bookmarks, or send a Charlotte's Web e-card to a friend.
Goodbye To Stains When The Party's Over
http://fabriclink.com/Stains/Holidaystain.cfm
A friend spills coffee on your beige carpet. Your 3-year-old smears chocolate
on your new sofa. Let's face it stains often show up uninvited at holiday
parties. When it happens, go quickly to this site for professional tips
on stain removal from carpets, upholstery, and clothing. You'll find step-by-step
advice for getting rid of everything on the stain "menu" from
eggnog to salad dressing. That way, the only thing left after your parties
are over will be the memories.
Christmas In New York City
http://nyctourist.com/xmas_in_nyc.htm
There's something magical about Christmas in New York that draws scores
of visitors each year. If you can't be there in person, enjoy the next
best thing by visiting this site. Take an online stroll down Fifth Avenue
and see the hustle and bustle of shopper-filled streets. Peek into the
holiday window displays at Macy's, Lord Taylor, and Saks. Gaze at the
giant tree at Rockefeller Center. The Big Apple is bursting with holiday
spirit and you can get a taste of it here.
Holiday Help For Any Elf
http://xmasfun.com
Are you scurrying around trying to finish last-minute holiday projects?
This site is as stuffed as a Christmas stocking with helpful resources
including lyrics to carols, festive recipes, and lots of fun games. We
particularly liked the collection of free holiday clipart images you can
download and use for e-greetings, gift tags, or invitations. To download
an image, simply right click on it and select "Save Picture."
Reviewing Regifting
http://regiftable.com
Regifting (giving as a gift something one previously received as a gift)
has gained in popularity since comedian Jerry Seinfeld first coined the
term a decade ago. In fact, more than half of adults in a recent survey
found regifting acceptable. After all, it does save time and money. If
you're new to the concept, learn when and how to properly regift in the
section called Regifting 101. You can also chuckle through real-life regifting
stories, like the woman who received a fondue set with chocolate and marshmallows
packages enclosed that had expired two years ago. Oops!
In This Edition
>Your Local Help Desk
>Tech Tips & Tricks
>Sites of the Month
>Jelly Bean Trees
>Feature of the Month
>Beware of Fake E-Cards
>Internet Classes
Free Internet Classes
Courtesy of diversiCOM
Browsing Only
Sauk Centre High School
Computer Lab Room 14
December 11, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-Mail Only
Sauk Centre High School
Computer Lab Room 14
December 12, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Browsing Only
Melrose High School
Media Center
December 18 ,7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
E-mail Only
Melrose High School
Media Center
December 19, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Call to register:
256-7471
764-7600
597-3333
548-3200
Jelly Bean Trees
With jelly beans and plastic pastry decorating bags, your kids can assemble these quick and easy Christmas trees for party favors or Secret Santa presents.
MATERIALS
1 dozen 12-inch plastic decorating pastry bags (available at party supply stores)
4 cups green jelly beans
1 cup total yellow, white, and red jelly beans
Tape
12 brown pipe cleaners
DIRECTIONS
Place a few yellow jelly beans in the tip of the plastic decorating bag. Then carefully pour about 1/3 cup of green jelly beans into the bag. For lights and ornaments, you can mix the green jelly beans with yellow, white, and red. For the tree's trunk, tape the bag shut and twist a brown pipe cleaner around the base. Trim off the excess plastic. (Note: in the photograph, the trees are held upright with fishing line.) Makes 12 trees.
Tech Tips and Tricks
How To See Graphics Within Incoming Holiday E-mail
One of the scam-protection features of Outlook Express for those Windows XP users who have installed Service Pack 2 (SP2) is the ability to block the display of images within incoming e-mail. However, what's the fun of receiving e-mail messages from friends or sources you trust unless you can look at the photos and graphics?
To see the images within selected e-mail in Outlook Express, do the following with your Preview Pane open:
(Please note before you follow the steps below to make sure you've downloaded the latest security patches from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx. Also, your anti-virus and anti-spyware software should be up-to-date. Remember to frequently update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software.)
1. Click your cursor arrow on the gray bar located just below the subject line of the message. It will say, "Some pictures have been blocked to help prevent the sender from identifying your computer. Click here to download pictures." If you click anywhere on that gray bar, the pictures for that particular e-mail will appear for as long as you have that e-mail open.
2. If you go to a different e-mail and then come back to this message, you will need to click on that bar again to see the images within the message. Note: If you don't see the gray bar, open the message in it's own window and follow steps one and two above. Otherwise, click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu and drop down to "Layout." When the "Window Layout Properties" window appears, make sure "Show preview pane header" is checked.
If you want to be able to see all pictures on all incoming e-mail messages that contain images in Outlook Express, you can disable this blocking feature. Here's how:
1. Go to the Outlook Express "Tools" menu and drop down to "Options."
2. When the "Options" window appears, click on the "Security" tab. About half way down the window, you'll see an item titled "Download images." You will see a checkbox next to the words "Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail." If you uncheck this box, it will allow images to be viewed again just like you could prior to your SP2 update.
3. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save your new settings and close the window.
To disable the graphics-blocking feature in Outlook 2003 so you can see pictures and graphics within all incoming e-mail messages, follow these steps:
(Please note before you follow the steps below to make sure you've downloaded the latest security patches from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx. Also, your anti-virus and anti-spyware software should be up-to-date. Remember to frequently update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software.)
1. Go to the Outlook "Tools" menu and drop down to "Options."
2. When the "Options" window appears, click on the "Security" tab. About half way down the window you'll see an item titled "Download Pictures." Click on the button that says "Change Automatic Download Settings." The "Automatic Picture Download Settings" window will appear.
3. Uncheck the box next to "Don't download pictures or other content automatically in HMTL e-mail."
4. If you don't want a warning every time you open HTML e-mail, uncheck the box next to "Warn me before downloading content when editing, forwarding, or replying to e-mail."
5. Click "OK."
6. Click "OK" again to close the "Options" window.
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Disclaimer
We do not have financial interest in, or endorse, any of the sites, or products offered by the sites, listed in this customer newsletter. No opinions expressed on these sites should be considered to be the opinion of diversiCOM Melrose Telephone Company or it's employees. This is a free service of diversiCOM Melrose Telephone Company to enhance your Internet surfing experience. It is our policy to not share your e-mail address with any third party for any reason.
©2006 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.