Your Computer Questions...Answered!!

Well, hopefully someone here will have an answer. Jeanie and Vikki were talking about starting a thread like this and I thought it would be a good idea.

I'm not an expert by any means, and I hope that everyone here will pitch in and help answer questions. Some of us are old hacks (or hackers) at this, and some of us are new at this whole computer thing. Let's help each other out.

OK, so class is in session! Remember, the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked. We all have to start somewhere.

Great thread! The only thing I am really having problems with is resizing my photos that I have saved to my documents, so I can attach them and post them here...but I have gotten some helpful hints in another thread, so I will have to try that out soon!

Some of us upload pictures to other sites and then copy and paste the URL to share the pictures here. Why is it that these pictures are sometimes seen as red X's and at other times the picture itself can be seen without any problem?

By the way valanhb, Jeanie and I were talking about a thread like this just a little while ago in another forum.

Originally posted by Lorie D.
Some of us upload pictures to other sites and then copy and paste the URL to share the pictures here. Why is it that these pictures are sometimes seen as red X's and at other times the picture itself can be seen without any problem?

By the way valanhb, Jeanie and I were talking about a thread like this just a little while ago in another forum.

Click to expand...

I would check the tags that are on the other end.

If you can't do that then make sure the pic is in the right place... red x's indicate that there is a spot for the pic, but the pic isn't found...

Does that make sense?

*smiles*
Ken

Sorry Lorie - I got you confused with Vikki. That was the discussion I was talking about.

You won't believe this, but despite the instructions you all gave me, I can't get those smileys at the smiley site. When I copy and paste, I get something like this [smiley cat]. That's what shows up! I have followed the directons at the site (about properties) and the ones Heidi gave me. My video card has recently been upgraded.

I think I can help you out with this, since it still took me forever to figure this out, too. On www.mysmileys.com they have put a long rectangular box at the top of the screen. When you click on a smiley, there should be a URL (web address) in the box. Click in the box, select the whole thing, including the * at the beginning and end (Ctrl+A will select it all). Copy it and paste it here. It should look like this (I changed the square brackets at the begining and end in the IMG command so it will show up)

{IMG]http://216.40.201.38/cwm/cwm/thinkerg.gif[/IMG}

Depending on the browser you are using, their HTML may not work with the little box. If that's the case, right click on the smiley you want to use and go to Properties. In the Properties box, select the Address from the http: through .gif. Copy that (Ctrl+C). At the top of our post box, click the IMG button, paste the smiley's web address in that dialog box and click OK. You should end up with the same command as above. Preview your post to see if it worked.

Another issue is something called remote linking. That's what is happening when you upload a pic onto a site and use the image tags here (img). Some sites don't allow remote linking. www.tripod.ca does

Hi guys.... I was asked to make this a sticky for ya... so I am doing!!

Sometimes we hear the same term over and over, and can't figure it out-even in context. Exactly what is a server? And please define browser. I know it has something to do with the address bar, but is it Microsoft? I know; it's a miracle I find my way around the internet at all!! For what do the initials url stand, and why can I read attachments that say jpeg, but not some others? And why do some attachments have to be downloaded, while others just open immediately? OK, I'll leave you alone for a while now. Thanks.

Those are all very good questions! I believe the server is where you get your internet connection from. (who you pay for your service) but I could be wrong. I am not very computer knowledgeable myself. I am sure Ken or someone can answer your questions.

Hopefully this will help Jeanie...

What Does URL Stand For?


Answer:

URL stands for Universal Resource Locator, which is an address at which you can find a web site. An example would be www.olemac.net or www.yahoo.com. By typing in these URLs in your browser's address bar you will be taken to the corresponding web site.

And a browser is where you type the internet address of the site that you want to go to. For example: www.thecatsite.com

A server is a computer system in a network that is shared by multiple users.

Sorry that I can't help about reading jpeg files. Hopefully someone will have an answer for you.

A server is a central computer that other computers are networked to, either physically (like in an office) or through the internet. One way to think of it is like a wagon wheel. Each of the spokes lead out to a computer, but are all connected through the center, which would be the server.

A browser is the program you use to browse the internet, generally either Netscape or Internet Explorer.

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, and is basically just a fancy term for an internet address.

There's a couple different types of JPEG files and depending on the software you have, you may not be able to open some of them.

I'm not sure about why some attachments open and others have to be downloaded.

I believe the question was "...why some attachments open and others have to be downloaded..."

I think that depnds on several factors. For example a pdf file (that's the sort of file read with Acrobat reader) depending on the computer (PC, Mac or other) and depending on the browser, (Explorer or Navigator) and depending on the age of the browser can all play a part into whether the file simply opens in the browser or has to download to your individual machine. But that's just one kind of file...

Files that will always have to be downloaded are archives (or a single file that holds a bunch of other files) a few of these extentions (the dot plus the three letters at the end of the file... these tell the machine, especially PCs, what kind of file it is and what program will open it) are: .sit, .zip, .sea

Files that are sometimes download and sometimes opened are usually image files, although that is getting pretty rare. This is because back when the internet is still pretty new, browsers couldn't read image files (yup, no bouncy smilies for anyone!)

<sorry, had to take a quick kitten play break>

...anyway, browsers couldn't read image files back then, so in order to see images, you had to have a separate program (like photoshop) in order to view these files. But since about 1997-98 that isn't really the case anymore.

I hope this answers your question. There are probably alot more instances, and I doubt I've covered it all. Sorry it was a little long-winded.

Why some images show and others need downloading...

Say I send you an e-mail, and within the e-mail I include an attachment called "cat.jpg." The image is physically embedded/incorporated in the e-mail, so when you read my e-mail, the image is automatically displayed. In this case, once you've connected to the internet and retrieve my e-mail, you can disconnect from your internet connection (go offline) and the image I sent will still be displayed.

Now say I send you an e-mail, but instead of including an attachment, I just include the address (URL) where the picture is located, such as "www.cryogenix/pictures/cat.jpg." What I've done is given you the link to the picture's location on the web (in this case, at the webspace provided by my ISP [Internet Service Provider]) which means you must remain conncected to the internet in order to click the image's link and see it. Once it's been clicked and is visible, you can usually go offline, then reopen the e-mail and the link will still be clickable to see the image. This usually happens because the image is saved in your browser's or e-mail program's cache.

Compressed/zipped images are other matters. Those are archives, as another person mentioned, and require a decompression utility (such as Winzip, Winrar, Winace) in order to open the zipfile and see what's inside.

Hope that shed some light one things.

Thank you all so much. I like to understand what I'm doing. I should get a book on computer terms and procedures, because I really want to know more. Can someone recommend one? Otherwise, I would be the world's worst pest!

I think I need to get a copy of "Computers for Dummies" :LOL:

Like debby said, a good book is PCs for Dummies and another good one that I recommend is called an illustrated dictionary for Dummies. I read them both, and they really helped make learning about computers easier. I also read Windows ME (2000) for Dummies and that was excellent too. You should get a Dummies book on whichever operating system that you have. (Ex: Windows 95/98/2000 or XP)

They also have Internet for Dummies which is another good book. My scanner didn't have a lot of instructions that came with it so I got Scanners for Dummies.

Oh Lorie...I didn't know they made a book, Scanners for Dummies....I got a scanner from hubby for christmas....still in the box, because i don't have a clue how to use it, and haven't had the energy to hook it up and try to figure it out yet....maybe I should buy that book and read it first.
They have a "For Dummies" book for everything now, I think...they even had one called "Pregnancy for Dummies" Very tempting to buy, but I figured maybe if I was a dummy, I shouldn't even be having a baby...:LOL: