Blog for "the-enabler" of the letsnet.org network

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Online investor fraud often starts when you receive an e-mail message describing an appealing offer. Remember that offers that seem too good to be true usually are. Here are a few of the warning signs to help you identify potential scams:

Exceptional profits: Usually, the profits are large enough to get your interest but not large enough to make you suspicious.

Low risk -- high return: All investments involve some risk. If a fraudster advertises "no-risk," this should be an immediate red flag that something is wrong. Don't invest if you don't know exactly what the risks are. (Remember, fraudsters don't honor money-back guarantees.)

Urgency: Fraudsters usually offer a reason why you must invest as quickly as possible. They may tell you that delays may mean losses of big profits or that they're limiting the offer to just a few individuals. Fraudsters often play on new technological advances that create a brief market that you must get into right away. However, if you feel that the posting is valid, wait before you respond. Others won't be shy about posting their opinions.

High-pressure tactics: Fraudsters often act like they're doing you a favor by letting you get in on the investment opportunity. Don't be afraid to ask questions publicly. Post a follow-up message. If the original post is valid, the person who sent it will be happy to post a public response.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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If you have your Scheduler scheduled to perform a virus scan, defrag, or other tasks, be sure that they are mutually exclusive. By this I mean that if you have the defragmenter and virus scan scheduled at the same time, they will conflict and disallow one or the other to perform properly. Also, be sure to turn off your screen saver when defragmenting. To check out the "scheduler" in your windows Opertioning Sys. get to your "comtrol panel" folder. If you know how to or where it is click on your "start" bottom, then click on "search" then click on "folders or files" and type in CONTROL PANEL and click on the "search now" botton. Once in your control panel click on the "Schedules Tasks". Now you'll see if you have anything scheduled or not and when they are scheduled for.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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* Crackdown on Dissent. Are our civil liberties
under attack? NOW
reports in CRIMINALIZING DISSENT?
* The biggest electoral prize is up for grabs on
Tuesday, but what's on
the minds of Californians? David Brancaccio
travels to Goshen, CA to
find out in HARVESTING VOTES.
* What stories have you been missing in the news?
David Brancaccio
talks to WALL STREET JOURNAL columnist Paul Gigot.

=============================================================
CRIMINALIZING DISSENT?

Rubber bullets, pepper spray, tasers, and riot gear
are all part of law
enforcement's arsenal in dealing with large
protests. But in an
increasingly security-conscious America, is the
government really taking
aim at our civil liberties? At a trade conference
in Miami last
November, hundreds of protesters were detained,
searched, and some
seriously injured in violent clashes with police.
While official Miami
hailed the event as a model for "homeland
security," others called it a
preemptive strike on dissent and an assault on
civil liberties. NOW
takes a hard look at the protests and their
aftermath to examine whether
law enforcement was maintaining order or abusing
power. As other cities
turn to Miami for examples of how to police their
major events, the
segment asks, were they protecting the public at
the expense of our
civil liberties?

=============================================================
HARVESTING VOTES

What do a frozen food kingpin and a community
activist have in common?
NOW travels to one of the most productive
agricultural regions in
America to take the pulse of two locals with deep
ties to their
struggling community, even though politically they
are worlds apart.
While Tulare County, California may not attract a
lot of attention from
the presidential contenders as they stump for votes
in the biggest
electoral prize in next Tuesday's primary, for
local communities there's
a lot at stake. From pollution and immigration, to
poverty, crime, and
rising energy costs, residents of Tulare have a lot
riding on the
outcomes of national policy debates. NOW's David
Brancaccio talks to
Kathy Garza who helped assemble a local planning
committee to fight for
community improvement and Fred Ruiz, chairman of
the biggest maker of
frozen Mexican food in the country, who was
determined to keep his
business in the community despite competitive
pressure.

=============================================================
PAUL GIGOT

David Brancaccio sits down with conservative writer
and WALL STREET
JOURNAL editor Paul Gigot, to discuss the news
beyond the headlines.
With more than 20 years at the WSJ, Gigot won the
Overseas Press Club
award for his reporting on the Philippines as Asia
Correspondent and the
Pulitzer Prize for commentary for his Washington
column POTOMAC WATCH.
Brancaccio and Gigot will discuss everything from
the proposed gay
marriage ban to the economy to the presidential
elections.

=============================================================
NOW WITH BILL MOYERS continues online at PBS.org
(www.pbs.org/now). Log
on to the site for a brief history of protest
movements in the U.S.; for
a primer on the debate over globalization and free
trade; for a look at
how candidates are courting "the Hispanic vote" and
why; for a selection
of streaming videos from NOW's 2004 broadcasts; and
more.




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Q. Two weeks ago, Microsoft issued a patch for a flaw in its
networking area. But the patch did not cover Windows 98 and
ME. Are those systems vulnerable?

A. According to Microsoft, those operating systems have some
vulnerability. But the problem is not as serious as that facing
XP and 2000. However, because people have requested a patch,
Microsoft has developed one.

The flaw is in ASN.1, which stands for Abstract Syntax Notation
One. This is a language used both by sending and receiving
computers. That ensures that when they communicate, they can
understand one another.

ASN.1 is embedded deeply within Windows. On XP and 2000, leaving
ASN.1 unpatched could allow an intruder to control a computer.
Microsoft did not quantify the risk to 98 and ME, other than to
say that it is not critical.

According to the company, those who want the patch for 98 and
ME must call 1-866-727-2338.

A firewall also will protect 98 and ME, according to Microsoft.
All Windows users should have a firewall. You can use a firewall
built into a router, if you have a network. Or you can use a software
firewall in a standalone computer. She likes ZoneAlarm and Outpost.

zonealarm, it's what I use.



MORE ON THE WINDOWS 98 PATCH...

Many of you called Microsoft about the ASN.1 patch yesterday, after
receiving my Tip of the Day. I received e-mails that Microsoft was
saying that there is no patch.

The patch does exist, according to Microsoft, but they've changed the
telephone number. Call 800-936-5700. Tell them you are calling in
reference to Article No. 828028. If you continue to have problems, let
me know. I'll keep pushing.

See you tomorrow!
Kim :)

OR

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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The automatic stay is one of the more important benefits of bankruptcy. It is a federal court order forbidding creditors from taking any action against you without first going through the judge.

Sometimes, however, a glitch may occur because the court doesn't notify creditors of your bankruptcy until about ten days after it's filed. So, what if a creditor doesn't know that you've filed and repossesses your car? Your attorney can almost certainly get your car back, but doing so is likely to be an unnecessary hassle and expense. You can avoid this headache simply by informing any creditor who's likely to take immediate action that you've filed bankruptcy. That way, if they violate the automatic stay, they'll have to pay you damages and reimburse your attorney fees.

If you're in default on your car loan, we suggest not notifying the creditor until after you actually file bankruptcy. Otherwise, the lender may attempt to grab the car before the automatic stay takes effect.




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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Is it just me or does anyone else find it amazing that our
government can track a cow born in Canada
almost three years ago, right to
the stall where she sleeps in the state
of Washington. Also they track
her calves to their stalls. But they are
unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens
wandering around our country.




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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THE HANDY DANDY ANALOGX PORTBLOCKER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you concerned about someone potentially accessing data on your machine
without your knowledge? Do you run a server, and want it only to be available
to the internal network, and not the Internet? If unauthorized access to your
computer is a concern that you have, then AnalogX PortBlocker is for you!
The traditional method of blocking access to a computer is through what's
referred to as a 'Firewall'; which is really nothing more than a program that
filters all of your packets, and only allows those on a limited number of ports
through. Historically Firewalls have been both limiting and difficult to
configure, requiring modification any time you start using a program that could
potentially receive requests on a new port; that's where PortBlocker comes in.
PortBlocker is not a Firewall, what it is geared to do is to stop a server or
application from making itself available to other machines on the internet; so
it's almost similar to the reverse of a Firewall, in that you tell PortBlocker
what to BLOCK instead of what to ALLOW. The end result is that it's much
easier to configure, and rarely needs to be modified once you start running it;
as a matter of fact, it comes already configured blocking the most common
server ports so you probably don't even need to do a thing!
Operation is very simple, just connect to the Internet and then run PortBlocker;
it automatically detects which interface is the once used for the Internet, and
blocks the configured ports. If for some reason it cannot block a port, it
automatically opens up a log window showing exactly what couldn't be started,
and why. It's important to note that you must run PortBlock only AFTER you
have connected to the Internet, otherwise it will be unable to properly detect
which interface to block, and will not work. Normally, the PortBlock icon,
which appears on the system tray (normally in the lower right of the screen),
will be yellow with green 'B' in the center, which indicates it started up and
is running correctly. If it is unable to start for some reason, then the 'B'
will be red, and a log window will automatically be opened listing the error
encountered.
Configuration is very simple, just right-click on the AnalogX PortBlocker icon
on the system tray, and select 'Configure'; this will bring up the port blocking
configuration dialog. From here, you can add, edit, and delete current port
blocking; it also lists all of the port blocks configured and their respective
settings. There are four different setting for each blocking, but don't worry,
they're all really easy to understand! The first is the actual port number
that you want to block; this value can be found usually in the docs for the
program you would like to block (for example, FTP is port 21, POP3 is port
110). Next is the protocol, which can be either TCP or UDP; TCP is by far the
most common, so unless you find docs that stat otherwise, it's usually safe to
assume that it's the one to use. Following protocol is the alert setting, which
specifies what the program should do when someone attempts to access one of the
ports you've set as blocked; if set to 'None', the program will still block the
request, but will not notify you of the attempt. If it's set to 'Dialog', the
program will automatically open up the log window to display the offending
access attempt. Finally, you can specify whether unauthorized access attempts
should be logged or not; in most cases you'll want to log these attempts, just
in case. All logged entries are stored in a file called pblock.log, which will
be located in the same directory as the executable. This log file is just
appended onto, so it's important that you remember to periodically check it,
and delete it.
You can also specify which site PortBlocker uses to estabilish your IP address.
Normally this should be a webserver that you KNOW will be up all the time, such
as http://www.yahoo.com/ (the default is http://www.winfiles.com/).
So, are you ready to test it out? Then connect to the Internet and run the
program! Next, get your Internet IP address (using either AnalogX NetStat Live
or from the Log window), select 'Run' from the Start Menu, and type this:
telnet x.x.x.x 21
(replace x.x.x.x with your Internet IP address); it should open up the Telnet
window, and the message 'Connection to host lost.' should immediately appear.
The BlockPort log window should also open up and report an attempt to access
port '21', and the IP address (your IP address) that the request came from.
It's important to note that PortBlocker does not actually refuse connections;
instead what it does is accept the request, but immediately close the
connection. This helps to ensure the nothing opens up this port later on, and
also helps in getting the IP address of the incoming packet.
There is only 1 port that this technique does not appear to work with, and that
is port 139. I'm working on trying to identify why this is the case, but my
only guess is that it's because it's used by the OS, and it's doing something
special to grab it. Fortunately, the technique works to block 137 and 138, so
it shouldn't cause any problems. By default, the program is configured to
block FTP, SMTP, HTTP, POP3, and NNTP; these are by far the most common, but
others can easily be added by using the steps outlined above. It is possible
that PortBlocker will not be able to override a program already bound to a
specific port; in this case it will warn you that is was unable to capture the
port. The easiest way to solve this is just to start the offending program
AFTER you start PortBlocker, which then gives PortBlockers request of this port
higher priority. You can also only have a maximum of 64 ports blocked at a
time; any more will not work properly, so keep this in mind when choosing which
ports you would like to block. It also blocks port 6588 (the port used by
AnalogX Proxy), so it makes a perfect companion for it as well!
If you run a port scanner of some sort (such as GRC) on your machine, you may
notice that it will report that the ports are listening that weren't before;
this is because PortBlocker takes control of a port in order to block other
programs from being able to use them. PortBlocker does NOT allow any data to
be exchanged on any of these ports, it simply logs the IP address of the incoming
request, and then disconnects.
For more info, and some cool music, make sure to check out the website at:
http://www.analogx.com/



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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Based on this weekend's legit email that ended up in my Junk/Trash box, I thought it a good idea to offer you these tips to avoid looking like a spammer:
keep in mind that your SUBJECT LINE could determine whether your email is read or not.

35% of respondents cited the "Subject" line as the most important factor motivating them to open emails.
Do not send an email without noting a relevant SUBJECT: do not leave the subject field blank.
Do not use the recipient's name in the Subject line - makes you appear to be a possible spammer.
Use proper punctuation and capitalization where necessary. Do not use multiple "!!!" or "????".
Make sure your name is properly formatted in your settings both in case and punctuation. John A. Doe not JOHN A. DOE, john a doe or jdoe@isp.com
Always have a SUBJECT: that gives a clear indication of the email's topic.
Refrain from using Help, Hi or Please Respond type comments.
When replying, take the extra step to type REPLY: at the start of the subject field for a extra hint of professionalism and detail letting the recipient know you are replying to their specific inquiry.
Hope that the tips above will help. Thanks to Judith



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Visit the Gibson Research Corporation page to get all kinds of technical information. One big attraction at the site is the "Shields Up!!" page. You can visit this page to see how secure you really are on the Internet. Go to the site (link provided below this tip) and click on Shields Up!! Click Test My Shields! and wait for the results. Next, click Probe My Ports! and see how you do. By the way, the port probe is much faster now.

Click here to visit Gibson Research Corp!



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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http://news.yahoo.com/techtuesday/

If you use the Yahoo Calendar and the Yahoo Instant Messenger the two of them together can remind you that it is Tech Tuseday. Just have the IM(Instant Messenger) on and set to send you "reminder" and when it's Tuseday your calendar Reminders will tell your instand messenger to tell you. It's like having an alarm clock. Good for appointments with Doctor, to tell you that your favorite TV shows coming on, as well as to "walk the dog". Pick up the kids from school. Even your "to do list".


Questions, call me, I'll walk you though it:

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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After putting Social Security reform on the back burner for several years, President Bush is making a new push for a plan that would let workers divert part of their payroll taxes into personal savings accounts. Bush touted the proposal in his State of the Union address and again in his economic report to Congress this month.
From the way supporters describe it, the concept is simple and appealing. Workers would invest a portion of their Social Security taxes into stocks and bonds that typically yield higher returns than the current government-managed system. What's more, they say, the step is crucial in saving Social Security from insolvency as 75 million baby boomers retire during the coming years.
But much like a miracle weight-loss plan that promises stunning results without diet or exercise, the proposals to create private accounts avoid the difficult reforms required to ensure Social Security's long-term financial health: reduced benefits, higher taxes or a combination of the two.


For the rest of the story




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family.

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MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com+The Webster. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com>. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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MY ADVICE endeavors at . The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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test

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040223/D80T87T00.html
You might want to look around this site. Good news source for more than just TECH

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=74&e=14&u=/cmp/17900009



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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There are thousands of various computer terms being used when reading and researching topics within Windows. One such term is "pixel." (Not to be confused with a Pixie; a mythical little fairy-thing.) A pixel is a term to describe a single dot on a computer screen. The more dots, or pixels, you have, the better the image on the screen. Computer monitors and graphics cards vary in the number of pixels that they are able to display on a screen at one time. This total number of pixels on a screen is called the resolution, but that's for another day. - Michael Vincent



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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If you don't want to see the Netscape splash screen every time you run Netscape 6, you can prevent the splash screen launch. To do this, right-click the shortcut that points to your Netscape program and choose Properties. Click the Shortcut tab (if necessary) and then click in the "Target" entry box. Add -nosplash to the end of the existing entry. For example, ours is:

"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape 6\netscp6.exe" -nosplash

Note that -nosplash goes outside the quotes. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings. The next time you run Netscape 6, you won't get a splash screen. - Sue Whitehouse



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.

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If you accidentally open a folder from within Explorer(not the browser, RIGHT CLICK on your start bottom) in Windows 98, you can press the backspace key and it will move you one level up from your current location. - Michael Vincent



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com.