While the following computer club news letter is geared towards the
sighted computer user, though there is a brief mention of a DOS based web
browser it
shows the sort of cooperation that can result from blind and sighted
computer users working together.
For Comments on the Pittsburgh Area Computer Club newsletter please send
email to, [log in to unmask]
From: [log in to unmask]
Greetings Jim!
Here is the promised text only version of PACC TALK. Consider this an evolving
project. However I edited the PACC TALK. newsletter before now, will have to
be adjusted to create the text version at the same time. I would like you to
tell me where the text flow of the articles is interrupted. I hope this is a
good start.
I have only your email address. Vicky did not include her address. So I leave
it up to you to forward this onto anyone else you wish. Beside including it as
an attachment to this message, I have also imbedded the PACC TALK text in this
message.
It will start after my signature.
Good luck, I hope you will not be too critical,
Pavel Konecny
President PACC
Beginning PACC TALK newsletter in text form:
PACC TALK
Official Newsletter of the Pittsburgh Area Computer Club for February 1999
MEETING SCHEDULE
Sunday, February 14, 1999
11:00 -11:25 am
ROOM # 309 Board Meeting
11:00 -11:25 am
ROOM # 311 Sign In, Pay Dues, Greet visitors, Purchase 50/50 tickets
(Optional), Setup Computers, Open Software Library, Prepare for Meetings.
11:45 - 12:20 pm
ROOM # 311 New Users SIG Q & A Session.
Vishnu or PJK. (pg. 1)
12:30 - 12:55 pm
ROOM # 311 General Meeting, Raffle. (pg. 1)
1:00 - 1:55 pm
ROOM # 307
Windows 98 SIG
NEOPLANET and OPERA demo (pg. 1) (pg.
1)
2:10 - 3:00 pm
ROOM # 307 Hardware SIG
Network anyone? Vishnu Agrawala (pg. 1)
3:00 - 3:55 pm
ROOM # 311 Members Helping Members - Computer Trouble Shooting, Info
Exchange, Review Material Signup
4:00 - 4:30 pm Pack Up Equipment
4:30 pm Doors Close
What is inside....
Is this Virus a Hoax or is it for real? PAGE #1
Turbo Tax Review by M. Kollar PAGE #2
If you want to make a good hoax..... PAGE #3
Notes from the president’s desk PAGE #4
Tim O’Reilly co-authors with Troy Mott Windows 95 in a Nutshell . Very solid
500 page reference to everything in Windows 95 that you care to know about. It
has loads of actual descriptions of and solutions to problems, and
documentation of Widows 95 you will not find elsewhere. ($19.95) The last
meeting winner of this title is telling me it is worth every penny. Will you
be the winner this time? I looked it over myself and must tell you, if I did
not buy a similar book already I would be very tempted to buy this one. Oh,
there is more than one door prize to win, so be on time for the meeting. PJK.
Hardware SIG
Network anyone?
Room # 307 at 2:10 PM.
Is there anyone who has not have two computers in the house at one time or
another? Maybe you purchased or build a brand new PC and want to sell the old
one. But you will never get what you put in it. Why not using your second PC
to put on a sensitive material perhaps (Quicken..) and build home network. In
this months Hardware SIG Vishnu will show you how easy it is to do. PJK
Windows 95/98 SIG
Room # 307 at 1:00 PM.
Do you ever notice as you cruise the Internet the little pop-up ads for
anything from a software just recently released to how to invest your money
and with whom? I spotted an ad for a web browser named NEOPLANET. I’ve decided
to test it. It is a nice surprise. NEOPLANET offers a various themes you can
download. . If you are inclined to do so, you may switch these , depending on
your mood. And NEOPLANET is free. I will demonstrate NEOPLANET 2.0 ( 1,8 MB
download.) and also the OPERA 3.01 (The size of the
download file is only about 1.3 MB.) I’ve used OPERA 3.01, and am seriously
contemplating buying it! I have yet to find any cookies in OPERA.
As you all should have heard by now the DOJ is after Microsoft because of
browser integration into OS, among other things. Here we have three more
choices of web browsers, four, if you count ARACHNE for DOS. Trying NEOPLANET
and OPERA for the last few weeks have convinced me that there are alternatives
out there to MS Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.
This said I should point out that the NEOPLANET 2.0 runs on the top of the MS
IE shell. What is noteworthy, is how customizable the interface is.
The third Windows based browser I like to mention is the mother of them all.
Specifically the MOSAIC 3.0 for Windows. This was originally the basis for
both the Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and many others
before either of these web browsers appear. I did not work much with it yet.
But by the time the Sunday meeting comes about I will have. An I tell you
something about the other web browsers also.
The MOSAIC 3.0 is a property and copyright of National Center for
Supercomputing Applications which is a research institution of the University
of Illinois.
The NEOPLANET is a property of NeoPlanet Inc. which in turn belongs to
Bigfoot International, Inc.
There you have it! Come and see! PJK.
VIRUS?
DO NOT PANIC!
Several weeks past I received a forwarded warning about a virus from a friend
forwarded to him by another friend etc. I read the message and something about
that bothered me right away. There are many virus hoaxes floating about on
the Internet, and I suspected this one the moment I read the phrase which
underlined in the text. The whole of the message becomes somewhat dubious if
one considers the language used anyhow. Here is the text:
Subject: A virus warning from IBM
Date: Monday, January 25, 1999 8:34 AM
FYI
VIRUS WARNING!!!!!!
If you receive an email titled "It Takes Guts to Say 'Jesus' " DO NOT open
it. It will erase everything on your hard drive. Forward this letter out
to as many people as you can. This is a new, very malicious virus and not
many people know about it. This information was announced yesterday morning
(1-14-99) from IBM; please share it with everyone that might access the
internet. Once again, pass this along to EVERYONE in internet. Also, do
not open or even look at any mail that says "RETURNED OR UNABLE TO
DELIVER." This virus will attach itself to your computer components and
render them useless. Immediately delete any mail items that say this. AOL
has said that this is a very dangerous virus and that there in NO remedy for
it at this time. Please practice cautionary measures and forward this to
all your online friends. ASAP,
From: Bryan Martin
Compaq Computer Corporation
1125 Evergreen Oak Way
Dacula, Georgia 30019
(770) 822-1195 office
(770) 354--6082 mobile
(888) 979-3719 pager
[log in to unmask]
THE REAL THING:
{This message is brought to you as a subscriber to the Dr Solomon or Network
Associates Virus Alert List. To unsubscribe, please follow the instructions at
the bottom of the page}
Virus Alert: W97M/Ethan
Is a Word97 Macro Virus. It is a fast moving infector and reported to numerous
AVERT Labs around the globe. Infection takes place when an infected Word
document is opened, allowing the virus to propagate itself to Normal.DOT
template.
Ethan is a parasitic class module infector, that consists of one macro
approximately 50 characters in length. Viruses using class module infection
method transfer the virus code to the "ThisDocument" container.
There is a 3-in-10 chance that this virus will modify the document properties
of infected files:
title = "Ethan Frome"
Author = "EW/LN/CB"
Click here for more information --> http://www.nai.com
AVERT A Division of NAI Labs
To download the latest network management and security products from Network
Associates, please visit us today at <http://www.nai.com/dm/alerts.asp>.
This information update is available at no charge to all registered users of
the Dr Solomon and Network Associates Websites.
* To cancel this update, send us a reply with the words UNSUBSCRIBE
[log in to unmask] in the subject line with the original message
attached.Copyright 1999 Network Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
Empty Your Wallet!
Its Tax Time.
Review by MS Kollar.
Let’s see: a big pot of coffee, pencils, paper, calculator and boxes. Its tax
time! The IRS wants your money. Maybe then also your house, your children,
your dog or whatever else they can get from you. The government of Robin Hood:
take from those who have it and give it to those who do not.
Anyway, if one has a computer and an ordinary life style, he should consider
doing his taxes for himself. The tax program makes it easier to do taxes. Once
you have filled it the first tine, the following years are even easier (unless
you switch programs): you import the pertinent data from last year and just
fill in the new numbers. If you are paying a tax person to do it, you may want
to consider the several tax programs that are out on the market. You may find
it cheaper by doing it yourself.
I had an occasion to check out the work done by a tax firm against what my
tax program did. Both results were the same. I started with Personal Tax Edge
as my first tax program (was even in DOS) and then when they were sold, I got
to try Turbo Tax. This is my second year with Turbo Tax and it is quite easy
to do.
No more running out to get forms: it’s got them. If your tax is complicated,
you may need the advice of a tax consultant. From the program you can file
standard, PC, electronic, or e-mail form. Always make a hard copy for
yourself. I keep the older program along with the data floppy for three years.
The program offers you several ways to do your taxes. The easiest way for
those for whom it is the first time is the interview, where it walks you all
the way through your tax forms by questioning you. Step by step slowly you
answer the stuff needed for the forms. For those who know the tax forms this
can be quite boring. They offer you a form menu from which you can choose.
Then you can enter your data. It checks your entries for any mistakes. It may
look for extra deductions and flag those things that may trigger an audit.
After which you can print out the form, or e-mail or electronically send it.
I recommend the PC form because it uses less paper. Usually it takes only one
page. I got the state tax program also this time. I do a few of my friends’
taxes for them, and it seems this year the state forms were hard to find.
Although the state is easy to do by hand and simple, it turned out easier by
using the state tax program. After doing a couple of taxes I found it much
easier. No more penciling in the first form, then check and correct. After
that, to copy everything onto the good form and hoping you copied correctly.
If you goof, you have to get another new form. They are not in the booklet; so
you go out and get them at OOPS you must call and have them sent. No more!
Last year I did a piece on the pitfalls of the instant
refund in the program that I had used. From what I said above, I like the PC
form. The e-mail I did not quite understand. Now what my complaint is about
the e-mail and instant refund is that you still have to send in your W2 and
sign the form. That being the case, use the PC form and send it. What I recall
about the instant refund is that it printed out too many papers. Also, there
was no way to check on it. You have a choice: spend the money for those tax
firms, or for a price of around twenty dollars you can buy this program that
will do as much.
Now we shall check out the prices. In a circular from a store I found Turbo
Tax Complete for $15 with a $5 rebate. Its state version was $28. If you look
around you may find a box that gives you a $30 rebate toward Intuit products.
Now Kiplinger Tax Cut is $25 but it allows you to download your state tax
program for free. I know where I will be looking next year. I may find out how
well Kiplinger’s program works.
Michael S Kollar
[log in to unmask]
The following is an example of a virus hoax.
The latest breaking news on the GOODTIMES virus.
It turns out that this so-called hoax virus is very dangerous after all.
Goodtimes will re-write your hard drive. Not only that, it will scramble any
disks that are even close to your computer. It will recalibrate your
refrigerator's coolness setting so all your ice cream goes melty. It will
demagnetize the strips on all your credit cards, screw up the tracking on your
television and use subspace field harmonics to scratch any CDs you try to
play.
It will give your ex-girlfriend your new phone number. It will mix Kool-aid
into your fishtank. It will drink all your beer and leave dirty socks on the
coffee table when company comes over. It will put a dead kitten in the back
pocket of your good suit pants and hide your car keys when you are late for
work.
Goodtimes will make you fall in love with a penguin. It will give you
nightmares about circus midgets. It will pour sugar in your gas tank and shave
off both your eyebrows while dating your girlfriend behind your back and
billing the dinner and hotel room to your Discover card.
It will seduce your grandmother. It does not matter if she is dead, such is
the power of Goodtimes, it reaches out beyond the grave to sully those things
we hold most dear.
It moves your car randomly around parking lots so you can't find it. It will
kick your dog. It will leave libidinous messages on your boss's voice mail in
your voice! It is insidious and subtle. It is dangerous and terrifying to
behold. It is also a rather interesting shade of mauve.
Goodtimes will give you Dutch Elm disease. It will leave the toilet seat up.
It will make a batch of Methanphedime in your bathtub and then leave bacon
cooking on the stove while it goes out to chase gradeschoolers with your new
snowblower.
*The author of this simulated virus hoax is Graham Cluley from Dr
Solomon’s Virus Central: http://www.drsolomon.com/vircen . Visit and read this
page often! Highly recommended! PJK.
>From the presidents desk
Hi PACCsters! As you can see from the theme of virus article, there is some
catching up on the subject we have to do! The matter of virus protection is a
serious one. Recently I received a warning of a virus attack forwarded by a
PACC member. I did some research and quickly found that it was a hoax. Of
course it is hard to know this especially when a friend sends this warning.
This is when I realized that we are easily convinced of a danger behind a
corner. We all like to be on the safe side and we trust our friends. So we
pass on the warning. In this case it was a hoax. The lesson: Let us learn to
recognize Virus Hoaxes. And so we are back to the Sunday meeting theme.
Viruses and Virus Hoaxes.
On the subject of purchasing ZIP drive for the PACC PC, it is done. Vishnu
purchased on at the last computer show. It is already installed in the PACC
Machine. It was a good deal worth waiting for. Anyone with a Zip Drive can
setup their demo, which they volunteer for en mass! Well, one never knows what
good lurks in a man.
Last: Have you given any consideration to what it will mean to you when the
Year 2000 arrives? Last month I asked you to consider it. There were no
examples suggested so far . So maybe we are all safe. Food for thought: I have
build my machine using a motherboard which claimed complete compliance with
Y2K. Wrong! It is not completely compliant. The clock may not recognize a leap
year... Well I’ll build a new machine by the time the Y2K comes. Give this one
to my wife. Then, when it stops working, I can help her to reset the clock!
You still think you are safe from Y2K?
See you Sunday PACCsters! PJK.
End of PACC TALK newsletter text.
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