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I plan to add to these as time permits. Any feedback will be considered for future updates.
Get a new copy of a web page
Depending on the settings in your browser when you visit a web page that you have been at recently, your browser may try to save time by displaying a copy from your hard drive.
To force your browser to go get a new copy, hold shift key while refreshing or reloading the page.
This comes into play for pages that have just been updated.
Open in New Window
Sometimes there are several links on the screen that you might be interested in following. You can visit each one without having to hit the back button on your browser by right clicking on the link and then selecting "Open in New Window".
This is especially helpful when viewing a return from a search engine and you are presented with many sites that might have the information you are interested in.
Note: Don't get too many windows open as the computer will start to run slower, especially if there are multi-framed graphics or other moving doodads on the pages.
Copy and Paste
This is one of the most useful and simple skills and can impact your computer experience in other areas than just surfing.
Most applications have edit in the menu bar at the top. There you will find the options for various parts of the copy and paste routine. Looking closely you'll notice there are items with reminders for control button shortcuts you can use later when you become more familiar with these operations.
Warning: When you have text high-lited in a nonstatic document [like a word processor] Hitting any key [other than an arrow or page up or down key] will result in the text disappearing. [Not including the combination of control and "C"]
Not to worry though.......Control and "Z" will undo the last operation. as will "Undo" under edit in the menu barBack to the web page helps. On web pages because they are static [meaning you can't edit them] The option under edit in the menu bar "select all" high lites all the text on the page. This isn't what you want many times. So the other technique of using your mouse to high lite selected text is appropriate.
Position the cursor just in front of the beginning of the text you want to put somewhere else. Depress the left button on your mouse and move to the end of the section of text you want. The text should change colors. Let go of the left button, the text should remain high lited. Now you go up to the menu bar and select "copy". Next go to the document you want the text added to and in the menu bar under edit select "paste".The short cuts:
For copying Control and "C"
For pasting Control and "V"
For select all Control and "A"
For cutting Control and "X"Oh yeah, one more thing. Sometimes text on a web page won't high lite. There are several possible reasons for this. It could be a graphic file [a picture of text] Or it could be text in a table that is aligned.[ technical method of pushing chunks of text around on a web page]
Clean up E-mail before Forwarding
Another way to use copy and paste is to clean up e-mail before sending it on again. Word pad has a feature called "Replace"
You can select all under edit while viewing an incoming e-mail and then "Copy". Then switch to word pad and "Paste". Then under edit in the menu bar you'll see "Replace" [or use Control and "H"]
A dialogue box appears with a couple places to enter text. The top one is for what you want replaced and the bottom one to for what you want put in place of the text in the top box.
Often times forwarded messages have many ">" in them. Putting a ">" in the top box and leaving the bottom one blank removes all the ">" from the message. Then you can also remove all the addresses and the old subject field.
When you have it all cleaned up you can select all and copy it and start an outgoing e-mail and paste the cleaned-up message making it easier to read and protecting the privacy of all the folks who forwarded the note previously.
Some other handy online resources.
Let me know if you find any of this useful.
e-Mail Mike @ Home
omb00875@mail.wvnet.edu
Software
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And anything you'd like added in future updates.
By Michael Condon Last update Mar. 28, 2005 Eight Rivers Web Design |