INews Newsletter - Oct 15, 2001
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* * * I N e w s * * *
A publication of Internet Nebraska, composed and distributed by
* * * manager@inebraska.com * * *
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Volume 4, Number 8 October 15, 2001
Welcome to another issue of INews, Internet Nebraska's customer
newsletter. This monthly newsletter communicates service bulletins,
announcements and other useful information to our customers. Please let
us know what you think of it. Archives of INews are located at
http://www.inebraska.com/inews
In this issue: Examining the New Internet Explorer 6
Customer Accounting Utilities
Aftershocks for the Net after the Terrorist Attacks
A New Utility for Using Animated Text
HSP Modems, and Troubleshooting Possible Issues
Relief Efforts via the Internet for Attack Victims
Mr. Internet
** Internet Explorer 6 ***
Windows XP is just around the corner, and one of the new features that
Microsoft is proud of is its latest version of Internet Explorer, 6.0. The
new browser will come packaged with Windows XP, but if you have a previous
version of Windows, the latest IE 6 upgrade is available for download at
http://www.windowsupdate.com , or you can grab the installation file from
http://www.microsoft.com . The first questions that probably come to mind
are, what is new and why should I upgrade?
We'll begin with new features. Internet Explorer 6 gives the user many
more options when it comes to handling images. Whenever the mouse pointer
is placed over a image, the Image Toolbar magically appears in the
upper-left corner of the image. This is a menu that lets you save, e-mail
or print pictures from the Internet easily and quickly. The other major
feature change with images is the Auto Image Resize feature. If you are
trying to view an image that is beyond the scope of your browser, Internet
Explorer 6 will automatically shrink it down to fit your browser. This
feature can be very nice for shrinking down huge images. some images may
appear too scrunched, however, and this feature can be disabled to view
them properly.
IE6 adds another explorer bar called the Media Bar. If you use this
feature, a framed window appears in your browser that makes music videos,
movie previews, radio and other forms of media just a click away. It even
has a smaller, "lite" version of Windows Media Player. IE6 also comes with
a new design, but only shows it for users running Windows XP.
As nifty as these new features are, the best reason to upgrade to IE6 is
the new security features. IE6 finally gives users the option to limit
cookies, the files web sites store on your computer that save information
about you and your preferences. This information might be what your
customized Yahoo page looks like, or it might be information about what web
sites you visit so advertising can be better targeted to your specific
demographic. IE6 also includes all of the previous Internet Explorer
security updates and bug fixes, and comes packaged with Outlook Express 6,
with the most up-to-date protection against harmful e-mails and
attachments. Internet Explorer 6 isn't exactly a huge leap in the world of
web browsers, but for the new security updates and the peace of the mind
they bring, you might want to take the time to make the upgrade.
*** Integrated Computer Systems - Advertisement ***
ICS, an A+ Authorized Service Center serving western
Nebraska for over 14 years, is ready with over 40 years
of combined experience to professionally and expertly meet
your computer needs. From large networks to stand alone
PC's, ICS proudly offers their knowledge and expertise to
work for you. Whether it be Windows (95, 98, 2000, NT, ME),
Novell or Unix, new installations, trouble shooting,
networking, print sharing or repair, ICS will be there to
assist you or your personnel on arriving at the best
possible solution to fulfill your needs.
Located in North Platte, Integrated Computer Systems serves
over a 100-mile radius reaching communities such as Kearney,
Valentine, Thedford, Mullen, Sidney, Ogallala, McCook, Grant,
Imperial, Gothenburg, Lexington, Chappell, Sutherland, and
Hershey, to just name a few. So give us a call at 534-1500,
toll free 800-400-1527, or stop in and see us at 101 South
Chestnut.
ICS is an authorized reseller for Acer, Microsoft, Okidata,
Intel, A-Open, Open Systems and Hewlett Packard.
*** Accounting Department Goodies ***
The accounting department would like to remind all of our users about the
helpful Customer Utilities section that can be found on the Internet
Nebraska Homepage.
View Dial-up usage: Just type in your username and password, select the
time period you want to review and let the logs tell you how long you were
using the system. Sometimes this can take a few minutes so please be
patient.
View Balance: This will allow you to see what is showing due on your
account. If you have any questions about your billing or balance, please
feel free to call our office during normal business hours or send e-mail to
accounts@inebraska.com .
Pay by credit card: This feature will allow you to pay your bill online
using our secure server. Just submit your information, choose the amount
you want to pay and you're set. You will receive a confirmation letter
from accounts within two business days that the credit card information was
submitted for processing.
*** Aftershocks for the Net after the Terrorist Attacks ***
Many readers are old enough to remember the day President John F. Kennedy
was shot in Dallas, Texas, on November 21, 1963. Some of our readers even
remember when the United States military forces were attacked by the
Japanese at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. These tragic
events in American history will forever be remembered as dark days by
those who lived through them. September 11, 2001, not only brought great
fear and sadness to the U.S.; it highlighted our reliance on the
Internet for information, and raised privacy and law enforcement concerns.
Five million Americans turned to the Internet for news within the
first two days, according to a study done by Pew Internet & American Life
Project. During this same period, nearly 15 million people visited
virtual meetings, joined chat rooms discussions and other various cyber
activities. Surfers used video streaming to see the horrific sights in
New York and Washington D.C. News sites such as CNN and MSNBC were
swamped with people trying to see what was happening. Many people at work
who did not have access to TV or radio turned to the communications medium
found in most offices and businesses today, the Internet.
In the aftermath of the tragedy of September 11, people are still looking
to the Net for answers. Those wanting to know more about terrorism are
turning to The Terrorism Research Center ( http://www.terrorism.com ). The
primary reason for this site, according to its founding director, Matthew
G. Devost, is to educate the general public about terrorism. The site
averaged one million page views per month before September 11. That figure
is now one million per day according to Devost. As people seek specialized
information not typically found on regular news sources, they also visit
http://www.janes.com . Jane's is a well known publisher of magazines and
online information about defense, aerospace, and transportation, and enjoys
a wide reader base within military and intelligence circles. The typical
month for this site is a little over three million hits per month. In the
first 21 days of September there have been almost six million. Rahul
Belani, Jane's chief technology officer said he was not surprised that his
company's site had attracted large audiences. "People want to know just
what happened. They are hungry to know what it means and what happens
next."
The Internet is playing a significant role in the ensuing investigation.
A big difference between fact-finding now and at the time of the Oklahoma
City bombing in 1995 is the more widespread use of the Internet, according
to Ronald K. Noble, the secretary general of Interpol. The role of the
Net in combating terrorism is being revisited and examined daily. No
matter what, investigators will be using Internet tools and pushing them
to their limits.
The F.B.I. has been examining hundreds of e-mail message to and from
suspected hijackers and their accomplices. Since the inception of the
Internet, the National Security Agency, the C.I.A. and the F.B.I. have seen
it as both an ally and an enemy. The ability of criminals to communicate
globally with little worry of eavesdropping is a fearsome matter to law
enforcement. To combat this, the F.B.I. has developed Carnivore, a system
designed to allow the F.B.I. to monitor e-mail of suspected criminals. The
use of Carnivore has been criticized because it samples the messages of the
innocent as well as those of the suspect.
Many people fear that in the wake of the September 11 attacks, civil
liberties will be set aside in a search for terrorists and those who help
them. Officials are now asking for broad authority to inspect logs of
Internet use and the address fields of e-mail messages. A court order can
allow agents to retrieve records of credit-card purchases, peruse the logs
kept by automated toll booths to determine which cars drove through, listen
to voice mail left in databases, gather lists of library books checked out,
watch videos recorded by public surveillance cameras, and find out which
television shows a subscriber has ordered on pay-per-view services.
The attacks of September 11 have caused some to view things differently
today. Many people are afraid and digital surveillance does not seem as
intrusive as it once might have. Investigators have been able to
retrace movements by the terrorists who carried out the attacks.
Computers at a public library and a Kinko's shop in Florida seem to have
been used by the hijackers to buy airline tickets. Automobile traffic
recorded at Logan Airport shows that one of the terrorists, Mohamed Atta,
drove through the area at least five times before the attacks. In a poll
conducted on September 13 and 14 by the New York Times and CBS News,
people were asked if they believed that Americans would have to "give up
some personal freedoms in order to make the country safe from terrorist
attacks." 74 percent of those polled answered "yes". The same question
was asked a week later and the response grew to 79 percent.
*** Schaefer's TV & Appliance Center - Advertisement ***
Schaefer's is an independently owned and
operated television, appliance, and home
theater retailer in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Born out of a small corner drugstore four
decades ago, Schaefer's TV & Appliance is a
22,000 square-foot "superstore" today,
specializing in commercial/professional-grade
appliances, whole house sound systems, home
theater and central vacuum systems. The
success of Schaefer's is key to repeat
business. If a customer happens to have a
problem with a product, Schaefer's will bend
over backwards to get it solved. Our service
center is the largest in the city, and has been
voted Lincoln's #1 servicer for 10 years in a
row! A knowledgeable sales staff, express
delivery, easy financing, and our customer
service representatives are just a few of the
ways in which we at Schaefer's distinguish
ourselves from the rest. Stop by our showroom
at 48th and R in Lincoln, or call us at
and see for yourself.
-- http://www.schaeferstv.com/index2.htm
*** Putting Animated Text on Your Website ***
If you have ever tried to put animated text on your webpage, you can
understand how frustrating it is to try and learn a language such as
Shockwave Flash or Java and then try to make a good-looking text effect.
For those who don't have the time or patience to learn a new web-authoring
tool, Mix-FX is a great tool.
Mix-FX is a very easy-to-use program that allows you to make professional
quality text animations that don't require much in the way of resources
either on the creating or receiving end. For a free 30-day trial version
of the program, visit http://www.mix-fx.com/download.htm or to purchase it
(for only $20) visit http://www.mix-fx.com/purchase.htm .
Probably the best thing about this program is that the animations you
create will be small. This is important so that everyone on the Internet
can view your page in a reasonable amount of time, without waiting a long
time it to download. As mentioned before, ease of use is the other
fantastic thing about this program. You'll have your first professional-
looking text effects made in minutes.
*** The Capital Soccer Association - Advertisement ***
Capital Soccer Association specializes in
teaching soccer. However we recognize that
soccer, or any other youth sport is merely
one tool in the development of a young
child. Teamwork and sportsmanship through
knowledge and proficiency of the game are
our main goals.
-- http://www.capitalsoccer.com/
*** HSP Modems and Troubleshooting Possible Issues ***
Many modems in recently manufactured computers use something called HSP
technology to make the modem less costly to manufacture and therefore allow
the computer to be less expensive. HSP stands for Host Signal Processor,
and means all the modem functions formerly carried out in the modem
hardware are now done by software running on the computer's CPU. Although
there is nothing inherently wrong with this type of modem, and indeed many
customers use them without problem, it opens modem connections up to a wide
range of software problems.
If you are experiencing sudden and unexpected modem disconnections or very
slow connections, you may want to check to see if your modem is a HSP
modem. If you do determine or know you have an HSP modem, there are steps
to correct and improve your connection.
Here is how to check to see if your modem is a HSP modem:
Go to My Computer -> Control Panel -> Modems
Click on the Diagnostics tab
Click on the 'Com port' on which your modem is installed
Click on 'More info'
Now check the ATI3 response. If it says something like 'PCTel HSP',
then you have a HSP modem
If this is the case, try the following steps. Try these steps one by
one, until you see an improvement in your connection. If you are not
sure it is the modem causing a problem, feel free to call the Helpdesk
for assistance.
1: Check your Network settings. Go to My Computer -> Control Panel ->
Network. There, in the box that says 'The following network
components are installed,' you should make sure you have TCP/IP,
Dial-up Adapter, and Client for Microsoft Networks.
If you see any sort of AOL adapters there, remove them. If
you do not have these three adapters in your Network control panel,
please call our helpdesk for assistance.
2: Lower the transmit and receive buffers in your modem settings. Go
to My Computer -> Control Panel -> Modems. Click on the 'Settings'
button near the top of the control panel. Click on the 'Connection'
tab, then click on the 'Port settings' button. Set both the transmit
and receive buffers to low.
3: Update your modem drivers. Check with your computer manufacturer to
see where you can download the latest drivers for your modem. The
modem is only as good as its drivers.
4: Force the modem to use v.34 (33.6k). Either use your local 33.6k
access number, or call our Helpdesk and we will help you change your
settings to force a 33.6k connection.
*** Relief Efforts via the Internet for Attack Victims ***
The horrific events of September 11 shocked us all, but it is heartening
to see the best brought out in us in such trying times. On the day of
the terrorist attacks, Thom Gibb, the manager of online media operations
for the American Red Cross, saw a taste of what was to occur in a short
time. The staff in their Washington D.C. office just a few blocks from
the White House had decided to stay where they were in case they were
needed. According to Gibb "Both servers were being hit as they never had
before." In a matter of 12 hours, over a million dollars had been
contributed via the Red Cross online donation site. Gibb added, "As soon
as the public had a realization what was going on, there was a great
feeling they wanted to help somehow, and many, many of them turned to
us."
The flood of donations continued to pour in and over the first week alone,
$57 million was raised via the websites of Internet giants Amazon.com, AOL
Time Warner, Cisco Systems, eBay, Microsoft and Yahoo. This was all before
they announced the formation of the American Liberty Partnership and a
website http://www.libertyunites.org , which will raise money for over 30
charities vetted by local, state and federal agencies. For the first time
ever, online donations out-paced those collected by toll-free telephone
numbers.
Lisa Aramony, Vice President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation, said, "A
couple of years ago, it would have been impossible for citizens to respond
with this quickness and magnitude and get resources to where they're needed
immediately." The number of instant donations to assist in relief efforts
was a tremendous success story in a very dark time. It did, however, point
out major flaws and shortcomings in how networks for organizations such as
the American Red Cross are set up to handle disasters. It became clear
almost from the the start that the Red Cross could not handle the massive
number of donations. Internet companies helped carry some of the load and
helped increase the technological capacity of relief organizations. To put
in perspective how overwhelming things were, the day before the attacks,
the Red Cross web site, http://www.redcross.org , received $1,024 in
donations from 20,959 visitors. This was a pretty typical day for the
agency. On the day of the attack however, 243,974 visitors sought out the
site to make donations.
If anyone wondered whether the Internet is a fad or a toy, that notion went
out the window after September 11. The Internet may have slowed, and some
servers may have been overwhelmed, but for the most part, it did what it
was designed to do. It facilitated a large number of people staying in
touch and kept them immediately informed of events happening all over the
world. After some initial rough starts, web sites were up and running to
assist the coordination of information such as a database of doctors who
were willing to volunteer for disaster relief duty, essential information
concerning what was being done, and how to help in the rescue and relief
efforts.
Internet technology is further assisting in the relief efforts of the Red
Cross, which is now deploying 225 computers donated by Compaq around New
York, Washington D.C., and other places for survivors use. Survivors of
the attacks can post information about their whereabouts and send e-mails
to family and friends. The family registration system was developed in a
24-hour programming push by 16 Microsoft developers in Redmond, WA.
Programmers worked into the night, and the system was up and running at
http://www.redcross.org by Saturday evening.
*** Mr. Internet ***
Q: I have a very busy schedule, but I'd like to learn more about
what is being done to help others after the terrible events that
struck our country some weeks ago. Are there any good Internet
sites you would recommend?
A: There are dozens of sites on the Internet that one can visit
that have up-to-date news on the rescue efforts that we've only
caught a glimpse of on television lately.
Here's a few examples just to get you started:
American Red Cross
Http://www.redcross.org
The Red Cross even provides videos you can download to see many
of their volunteers in action.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Http://www.fema.gov
This is an excellent website to read up on how the government
is responding to emergencies and disasters nationwide.
Liberty United Partnership
Http://www.libertyunited.org
This site was set up to provide information on what is being
done and what people can do who want to help.
Mr. Internet is a regular feature of the INews, and he welcomes questions
of any kind. Just mail them to mrinternet@inebraska.com, and he'll answer
one or two each issue. Those he doesn't use will not necessarily be
answered, and you should still use 'manager' and 'accounts' for regular
business.
*** Advertise on Our Home Pages ***
What better way to advertise your business than on a Web page that is seen
tens of thousands of time every month? None, if you're paying as little
as we charge for it!
We are now offering banner advertising that rotates on all our pages
which is priced based on the number of impressions (viewings) per month.
Your banner can reach thousands of Nebraska residents, and this is a
unique way to advertise your Nebraska business to residents in the area.
Prices for banner advertisement can be found at:
http://www.inebraska.com/ad.html
We will also be selling links from our main page. Please contact
manager@inebraska.com, or give us a give us a call at our office,
402-434-8680, and ask how you can reserve banner spots on some of the
hottest URL's in the state. The advertisers in this issue did, and we
recommend them highly.