Comporium eNewsletter eNewsletter

Warning!
Protect Your Laptop from Theft

Fort Mill Springfest - Make Plans For New One-day Festival On May 3rd

Ask The Help Desk
Why Do Sent E-mails Sometimes Take So Long Getting To Recipients?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In April

Short Tutorial
Adjusting The Cookie Settings On Your Browser

Welcome, Comporium Internet Subscribers

In this April issue, we pass along helpful tips for the active spring days ahead. You may be out and about more with your laptop, so be sure to review the important advice on how to prevent laptop theft — an increasingly common crime. Can't wait to dig into landscaping projects? Check out Great Sites for resources about gardening as well as how to save money by reducing water usage. You'll also learn why e-mails sometimes take hours to reach their recipients, and you'll get a tutorial on adjusting the cookie settings on your browser.

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. We think you'll find this information interesting. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click here.

To see what's inside this issue, simply scroll down the eNewsletter or click on the links within the index to the left. Thanks for reading!

- The Comporium Internet Team

Warning! - Protect Your Laptop from Theft

According to the technology news organization ARS Technia, the year 2007 could be considered the "Year of the Laptop." Laptop sales rose 21 percent last year, and industry analysts predict that they'll exceed desktop sales for the first time in 2008. These statistics aren't surprising since laptops offer the convenience of being able to work and stay in touch wherever you go.

Unfortunately, laptops are also attractive to thieves. To reduce the likelihood of your laptop being stolen, the website OnGuardOnline.gov recommends tips including the following:

Treat your laptop like cash. Never leave your laptop unguarded, even for just a minute.
Your laptop shouldn't be left in a vehicle because extreme heat or cold may damage it. However, if you must leave your laptop in your vehicle, make sure it's out of sight. Parked cars are a favored target of laptop thieves.
Keep your passwords elsewhere. Don't store passwords in your laptop case — it's the equivalent of leaving keys in your car. Why make it easy for a thief to gain access to your personal or business information?
Pay attention in airports. Keep your eye on your laptop during the entire security process since the crowds and confusion of airports create fertile ground for theft.
Be careful in hotels. Try not to leave your laptop in your room. Use the hotel safe if possible.

If your laptop is stolen, report it immediately to the local authorities. And if it's a business laptop, be sure to report it to your employer so they're aware of potential data breaches.

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Fort Mill Springfest - Make Plans For New One-day Festival On May 3rd

Fort Mill will be hosting its newest community festival on Saturday, May 3rd at the Walter Elisha Park on North White Street. This one-day event will be filled with a great line-up of musical groups, excellent locally prepared food, hot-air balloon rides, children's activities and much more! A celebration of spring for the entire family! For detailed information, please visit www.fortmillspringfest.com.

Ask Comporium

This month's question comes from Comporium Internet subscriber Fred Houston.

Question: I would like to create a web page for my baseball team. Can you help? What software do I need? Do you still upload the files using FTP? Does Comporium provide disk storage space for the web page? How do I get a URL for the site?

Answer: We'll answer this question in parts.

What software do I need?

In order to create a webpage, you need to know how to program in the HTML language. The hard way to do this would be to buy a book and start reading. The EASY way would be to install a WYSIWYG ("What You See Is What You Get") Web page creation program such as Microsoft FrontPage, Netscape Composer, Macromedia Dreamweaver. There are several great free programs out there if you search for "free HTML editor" in your favorite web search engine. You can also create pages easily by creating them in Microsoft Word and then saving them as HTML pages. By using WYSIWYG software, you can create Web pages without learning HTML. These software packages handle all of the programming for you, allowing you to view something very similar to the final product during editing.
Do you still upload the files using FTP?

Yes, all files are uploaded via FTP. Your FTP directory can be accessed via ftp://ftp.comporium.net using your Comporium user account information. The easiest way to access an FTP directory is using a FTP program with a GUI (Graphical User Interface). There are some free FTP programs out there-just use your favorite search engine (be sure to download client access software and not FTP server software). In order for files to be made accessible on the web, they must be placed in the "www" folder.
Does Comporium provide disk storage space for the web page?

Yes, each Comporium user is allotted with 110 MB of shared storage space for e-mail and personal web pages.
How do I get a URL for the site?

Personal webpages can be accessed from anywhere in the world using the following format:

http://web.comporium.net/~username/

Where "username" is the same user account you used to access the FTP site. We recommend naming your entry page "index.html" and replacing the file currently in the directory. You can also create subfolders to keep files organized.

If you want to have a webpage with a name like "www.fredsbaseballteam", you will need to setup an account with a branded domain host. Comporium provides these services for a fee. More information on branded domain hosting services can be found by clicking here.

The most difficult part of learning how to make a basic webpage is ensuring all of your links and images are setup properly. Make sure you always upload any images you have inserted into the webpage HTML file. For more information, click here.

Do you have a question about how something works or a Comporium service? If so, send them in! A question will be selected every month and will be answered in the monthly subscriber newsletter. To submit your question, send an e-mail to the Comporium E-LINKS Editor. The user who submits the selected question will receive a prize from the Comporium Prize Vault!

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Ask The Help Desk - Why Do Sent E-mails Sometimes Take So Long Getting To Recipients?

Question: When I send an e-mail, sometimes the person I sent it to does not receive it for a long time. It may take an hour or more. Other times when I send an e-mail, the recipient receives it almost immediately. Why does it sometimes take so long for an e-mail to land in the recipient's inbox?

Answer: E-mail is not an instant messaging program. It does not go straight from point A to point B. E-mail instead travels through multiple e-mail servers on its way to a recipient's computer. If any of the e-mail servers along the way are having technical issues or incurring heavy traffic, e-mail messages needing to pass through the affected server will be delayed until that server's problems are resolved.

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Sites Of The Month - Great Sites To Check Out In April

Carrie On
http://opry.com - Carrie Underwood will become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry on May 10th. Visit this site to see video of Randy Travis giving the good news to Underwood, the singing star who made her Grand Ole Opry debut in 2005 just weeks after winning American Idol. You can also view the calendar of events, purchase tickets to upcoming performances, get Nashville travel tips, and find out how to enjoy Opry shows on TV, radio, and online.

How Does Your Garden Grow?
http://extension.org/horticulture - Here's a one-stop resource for those lawn and garden projects you're planning for the coming months. The information you need is all here — from plant selection to soil preparation to care instructions. You can also submit specific questions for university experts to answer. Go ahead and ask, for example, which variety of tree you should plant in a certain spot. We're pretty sure they won't be stumped.

Get "Lost" Online
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index - Many fans are hooked on this award-winning TV series about plane crash survivors on a mysterious island. If you're one of them, or would like to join the group, you'll be lost without this official Lost site. Read episode recaps, watch full episodes online, check out theories posted by fans, or submit a theory of your own.

Save Water and Money
http://wateruseitwisely.com - Are too many of your dollars literally going down the drain? At this site, you'll find plenty of water conservation tips and resources. Learn 100 ways to save water in your area of the country. Take the family water audit to see how wisely you're using water now. Find out what's new in water-saving gadgets. There's even a landscape watering guide to calculate how frequently to water your plants and lawn. It's information that's good for your wallet (and the world's water supply).

Well Said
http://howjsay.com - Not sure how to pronounce a particular word, and don't want to sound stupid? All you have to do is submit the word in question on this handy site and you'll hear it spoken instantly. It's an online English pronouncing dictionary, and in certain situations, it could prove invaluable.

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Short Tutorial - Adjusting The Cookie Settings On Your Browser

In computer terms, a cookie is a very small text file placed on your hard drive by a server when you visit a website. It is essentially your identification card, and its job is to keep track of your preferences and store information such as your e-mail address. Cookies can actually save you time by eliminating the need to re-enter your information every time you make inquiries or purchases at your favorite websites.

The default setting for Internet Explorer 7, Safari 3, and Firefox 2 browsers is to automatically accept either some or all cookies whenever a request is made by a website. However, you can adjust this setting if you are concerned about websites placing cookies on your browser as you surf the Web. Follow the steps below to either accept all cookies from websites, accept only certain cookies from websites, or to decline accepting any cookies.

Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP Home Edition SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium

With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" button located on the right side of the Internet Explorer Command Bar. Drop down to and select "Internet Options."
When the Internet Options window opens, click on the "Privacy" tab.
In the "Settings" area, you will see a slider to adjust the cookie settings. Moving the slider up to the highest setting will block all cookies. Moving the slider down to the lowest setting accepts all cookies. The default setting is "Medium" and will accept cookies in some situations.
Click the "Apply" button to apply your new settings and then the "OK" button to close the Internet Options window.

Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using Firefox 2.0 With Windows XP Home Edition SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium

With Windows XP or Windows Vista open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" in the menu bar. Drop down to and select "Options."
When the Options window appears, select the "Privacy" tab.
If you'd like all cookies to be set when visiting websites, check the box next to "Accept cookies from sites."
Next, select how long you'd like cookies to be kept on your computer. Choose from "Keep Until: they expire," "Keep until: I close Firefox," or "Keep until: ask me every time."
Once you've made your choices, click on the "OK" button to close the Options window.

Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using Firefox 2.0 With Mac OS X 10.4.9

With Firefox 2 open, click your cursor arrow on "Firefox" in the menu bar. Drop down to and select "Preferences."
When the Preferences window appears, select the "Privacy" tab.
If you'd like all cookies to be set when visiting websites, check the box next to "Accept cookies from sites."
Next, select how long you'd like cookies to be kept on your computer. Choose from "Keep Until: they expire," "Keep until: I close Firefox," or "Keep until: ask me every time."
Once you've made your choices, click on the red circle in the upper left corner of the dialog box to close it.

Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using Safari 3.1 on Mac OS 10.4.9, Windows XP Home Edition SP2, or Windows Vista Home Premium

With Safari 3 open, click your cursor arrow on "Safari" (when using a Mac) or "Edit" (when using Windows) in the menu bar. Drop down to and select "Preferences."
When the Preferences window appears, select the "Security" tab.
The cookie settings are right below the "Block pop-up windows" check box. (Yes, you can block pop-ups with a single click.)
Choose to "Always" accept cookies, "Never" accept cookies, or accept cookies "Only from sites you navigate to." The last option would prevent advertisers on websites that you visit from leaving cookies on your computer.
Once you've made your choices, click on the red circle in the upper left corner of the dialog box to close it when using a Mac. If you are using Windows, click on the gray X in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close it.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click here.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

e-LINKS Editor

Comporium Group
330 E. Black St.
Rock Hill, SC 29730

Rock Hill: (803)-324-9011
Fort Mill: (803)-548-9011
Lancaster: (803)-283-9011
Heath Springs: (803)-283-9011
York: (803)-684-1012

(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)

©2008 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.