PSC February 2003 Newsletter

Surfer Beware
"Your Computer Has A Virus" Banner Ad

MyPSCI “Frequently Asked Questions”
Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions relating to My PSCI.

Ask The Help Desk
What Is The Proper Method Of Replying To E-mail Messages?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In February!

Short Tutorial
Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator Shortcuts

Hello from PSCI

Welcome to the February edition of our eNewsletter. We think you'll find this month's FAQ Section and Tutorial Section especially helpful. There's always something new to learn when it comes to surfing or communicating via the Internet and we want to assist you in this endeavor.

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to:

Warnings on a recent virus or e-mail hoax that may affect you

An update regarding any new services we are making available

An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question

Some fun, seasonal websites to check out

A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task

We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading!

- The PSCI Team

Surfer Beware - "Your Computer Has A Virus" Banner Ad

You may have come across web pages that have banners at the top or bottom of them that say something like "Your Computer Has A Virus" or "You May Have A Virus" or "Security Alert" or even a flashing "Your Computer Is Under Attack!" These banners, many times, are so official looking that it may cause you to think that somehow your browser has detected a virus on your computer and is providing you with a warning notice. This is not true.

Although not necessarily a hoax, banners located on web pages that say something like "You May Have A Virus" are actually banner ads. They are a marketing technique used by some advertisers to scare Internet users into clicking on the banners. Once the Web surfer clicks on the banner ad, he or she is usually sent to a website which attempts to sell the surfer some type of product or service.

We strongly believe that every Internet user should have some type of virus scanning software installed (and frequently updated) on their computer as a protective measure against viruses. Remember, however, that just because you see a flashing banner ad on a web page that says something like "We've Detected A Virus On Your Computer - Click Here," it is not a true indication of whether you actually have a computer virus infection.

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MyPSCI “Frequently Asked Questions” - Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions relating to My PSCI.

We want to thank all the PSCI users that have switched to “My PSCI”. If you looked once and haven’t been back, you need to check it again. We are making changes and improvements on a regular basis. We would especially like to thank anyone giving us feedback on “My PSCI”. This information, whether positive or negative, lets us know how we are doing and what we need to do to improve. Keep the comments coming! Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we have received regarding “My PSCI”.

When I try to login to the My PSCI page, it says my username or password is wrong.

Check this information about your username and password

Your username should be all lowercase letters and is the first part of your PSCI e-mail address.

Your username should NOT contain “@psci.net”

Your password can be in upper and/or lower case letters, but must match EXACTLY the account information on file at PSCI.

If you see a page that tells you that the username or password you’ve entered is incorrect, you may need to contact PSCI and verify your username and password information.

In some cases, the Internet Explorer AutoComplete feature may be enabled and has saved the wrong username and password information for the login page. You may see an error message window that says, “The password you entered does not match the password stored in windows for this username.”

If you see this window (and you’re sure you have the right username and password entered), click YES. Windows will save the current password you have entered for the login page, so you should not have a problem in the future.

You can also try clearing the saved information or turning off the AutoComplete feature:

At the top of Internet Explorer, click TOOLS, then INTERNET OPTIONS
At the top of the Internet Options (Properties) window, click the CONTENT tab.
In the “Personal Information” section, click the AUTOCOMPLETE button.
To turn off the AutoComplete feature, uncheck the third box in the top section (“User names and passwords on forms”).
To clear passwords, click the CLEAR PASSWORDS button. When prompted to clear passwords, click OK.
Click OK to close the AutoComplete window.
Click OK to close the Options/Properties window.

If you are currently on the login page, click the REFRESH button on your toolbar or press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the page. Try logging in again.

Why am I always prompted to log in again when I go to Online Mail?

For security: A username and password is required to log into your mail to keep others who have access to your computer from accessing your e-mail.
For accessing more than one e-mail account: You can access any PSCI e-mail account, no matter which username you use to log in to My PSCI.

Note that you are not required to use Online Mail to retrieve your e-mail from PSCI. You may continue to use Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook or another e-mail software program. Online Mail is designed for the convenience of those who need to check their e-mail when away from their home computer.

If I log in with the username johnsmith, why does it say “I’m not johnsmith” at the top of the page?

You may have others in your household for whom you have set up household accounts. (With My PSCI different members of a household can customize My PSCI to their taste.) My PSCI remembers the last person who logs into the page. If someone goes to the My PSCI page, the previous user’s page is shown, they can then click on the “I’m not xxxxxx”, bringing up the Login page. Logging in with their household account or PSCI account will bring up their customized My PSCI.

I click on the link to set My PSCI as my home page, but when I reconnect, my old home page still comes up. How can I set My PSCI as my home page?

For those wanting to make My PSCI their home page, there are 3 options:

Under the “PSCI Information” channel on the left, click on the link, “Make this your home page”.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link “Click here to make this web site your Home Page”.
Some older browsers that may have a problem with the scripts on the links can set the home page manually:
- Go to the My PSCI home page (portal.psci.net) and log in.
- At the top of Internet Explorer, click on TOOLS then INTERNET OPTIONS (Note: On some older versions, you may need to go to VIEW then OPTIONS).
- In the first section of the window, click on the USE CURRENT button. Note that the address window above will change to the address of the My PSCI page.
- At the bottom of the window, click the APPLY button, then OK.

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Ask The Help Desk - What Is The Proper Method Of Replying To E-mail Messages?

Question: When I get e-mail replies from friends, their messages are usually typed above my original message. Sometimes, however, the reply to my message appears at the bottom of the e-mail. Is there a correct method of replying to messages?

Answer: Proper e-mail etiquette or "netiquette" says that replies should be placed at the top of the original message. This saves the recipients from having to scroll to the bottom of e-mail messages to read each time a reply message is received. This becomes especially obvious when there is an exchange of many e-mail reply messages between two users. If replies were typed at the bottom of the reply e-mails each time, both users would have to spend time needlessly scrolling to the bottom of each e-mail to read the sender's response and then type a reply message.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Test Your Knowledge Of Candy Bars
http://www.smm.org/sln/tf/c/crosssection/namethatbar.html - February is the month to surprise your sweetheart with chocolates. You can also impress your loved one with your level of candy bar expertise after checking out this site. The Science Museum of Minnesota provides a fun "Name That Candy Bar" test. Pictures of cross sections of candy bars are shown. It's then up to you to guess the name of the candy bar. Can you tell the difference between a Milky Way® and a 3Musketeers®? Give it a try.

History Of Valentine's Day
http://historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine/ - Each year we celebrate Valentine's Day by exchanging flowers, chocolates, cards and/or going out to eat with our loved one. But did you ever wonder why we celebrate this holiday? This link to the History Channel's website provides the details of the holiday's origin and how it has evolved through the years. Note: Valentine's Day is now the second largest card-sending holiday of the year.

Saving For College Education
http://savingforcollege.com - It's never too early to begin contributing to a college savings plan for your children or grandchildren. This site provides an exhaustive study of the popular 529 College Savings Plan and the Coverdell Education Savings Plan. Both have advantages depending on specific situations. According to SavingForCollege.com, each state in the U.S. has some type of a 529 Savings Plan. The site provides links to each state's plan. Tax laws are changing all the time so be sure to check with a tax professional before jumping in.

Survivor: The Amazon
http://cbs.com/primetime/survivor6/ - Here we go again. Another Survivor series kicks off this month. This time it takes place in the deep jungles of the Amazon. The official site provides contestant bios, previews of upcoming shows and reviews of recent episodes. You can also cast votes for your favorite survivor. Best of all, there's a link to a "Survivor Casting Call" page where you can apply to take part in Survivor 7! If you are selected, it could be a great way to lose 30 lbs -- and a good shot at becoming a millionaire!

Walt Disney's The Jungle Book 2
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/junglebook2/ - This movie is based on the 1967 Disney animated film, The Jungle Book. The sequel continues where the first movie ended. Mowgli decides to venture away from civilization and return to the "bare necessities" of jungle life. His old nemesis, Shere Khan (voiceover done by John Goodman) has an unfriendly greeting awaiting him. The movie is rated G and is great entertainment for the entire family.

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Short Tutorial - Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator Shortcuts

Both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator provide so many keystroke shortcuts that you may never need to use your mouse again -- well, almost never. Here are a few of the more commonly used shortcuts:

Organize your browser's favorites/bookmarks. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "B" key. Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "B" key. On Internet Explorer for the Macintosh, use the "command" and "B" keys to collapse or expand Toolbars.

Bookmark the web page you currently have open. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "D" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "D" key.

Open the search frame (This works for Windows Internet Explorer users only.) Click on the "ctrl" key and the "E" key. On a Macintosh, use the "command" and "E" keys to view the HTML Source.

Open a "Find" box. This allows you to find words located on the web page you currently have open. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "F" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "F" key.

Display web pages located in the "History" folder (recently visited websites) of your browser. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "H" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "H" key.

Open your Favorites folder. (This works for Windows Internet Explorer users only.) Click on the "ctrl" key and the "I" key.

Read information about the web page you currently have open. (This works for Netscape Navigator users only.) In Windows, click on the "ctrl" key and the "I" key. On a Macintosh, click on the "command" key and the "I" key.

Open an e-mail window. (This works for Netscape Navigator users only.) In Windows, click on the "ctrl" key and the "M" key. On a Macintosh, click on the "command" key and the "M" key.

Open a new window on your browser. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "N" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "N" key.

Refresh/Reload the current window. Internet Explorer for Windows: Click on the "F5" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "R" key. Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "R" key.

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

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

Perry-Spencer Communications, Inc.
One Community On-line

©2003 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.