Version, is your software the most current version? Not just your Internet browser, which after all is just another software program. Not that you must always have the most current version, in fact sometimes a newer version is not really better. It is all up to the whims of any given software company. But you should always be aware of your various programs version number. It is only a matter of being informed or not.

In any quality Windows software program, check the version number easily. "Left" click on the upper right "Help" button, then on the "About" line.

Each has an Internet address box. An Internet address is called a "URL" (Uniform Resource Locator). Netscape's address box is described as "Location:". MS Internet Explorer calls the address box . . . "Address".

View it near the screen top, the long white dialogue box. Where ever you are on the Internet, the URL will appear in this box. You can manually type an address into this box. "Left" click it with the mouse to "Select" it, notice the color change when selected. When "Selected", just start typing, what was there will disappear. A tip, often you only need change a small part of the older address in the box. To do this first "Select" the box as before, with the mouse. Then press a keyboard direction key, the "Left, or Right arrow key" or the "Home or End key". This removes the selection "color". Now use a direction key, placing the cursor to the "left" of what is to be "deleted". Now carefully press the "Delete" key, deleting the desired text portion. Type in what is necessary to complete your URL address. . . . Note . . . you press the "Enter" key to activate, the mouse will not work here.

An example URL that can be typed in . . . http://www.cobbusa.com/ . . . and note you need not type in the http://www. - just cobbusa.com will do it. The browser will put in the rest. But on a slower computer, you will connect faster if you type it all in.

All URLs begin with http (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), and most are followed with WWW (World Wide Web), some do not use the WWW. The colons, forward slashes, and dots must always be placed correctly. Many URLs include a tilde ( ~ ), upper case left of the top one ( 1 ) key. URLs commonly end with .com (dot com), but other extentions are also quite common, .gov (government), .ed (education), .net is almost as common as .com, and there is a growing list of new ones. Any error will keep you from connecting and issue an "error message".

The most common way of connecting with any web site is by "left" clicking a link. A link can be text only or a graphic image. Text links are usually underlined and may be dark blue in color, changing color after clicked, a reminder you have already been there. But often design does not follow these rules and any color links are not uncommon. Underlining is a user option set by default that can be changed, in your browser "User Options". We get into "User Options" shortly.

Graphic links can be images of any size. Just click on the image. How can you tell a graphic link from a plain image? Just by viewing, you usually can't. But there is an easy way. . . the browser "Status Bar", the lower most bar on the browser screen. Depending on how your "Windows Task Bar" is configured, it may cover this "Status Bar". If it does, move the "Task Bar", hold down the "left mouse button" in an open area of the "Task Bar" (not on any icon). Now "Drag" the "Task Bar" to any one of the four screen edges, and release the mouse.

Vertical on the left screen side is the least obtrusive. You can also "resize" the "Task Bar". When you stand it up it will be wider. Touch the outside edge until you see a "double headed" arrow. At this point, "hold down the left button" and "drag" it in or out, releasing the button when ready. You know the "Windows logo" means Start" so it is unnecessary to view the word "Start". There are more "user options" for the "Task Bar", view them by "right" clicking an "open area" (not on any icon) of the "Task Bar". Easily move it again or "change any option" at will.

There are many services provided by the browser "Status Bar" other than determining graphic links. It detects all links. Touch any link, with no clicking, and view the "Status Bar". You can read the complete URL when using Netscape, MS Explorer hides part of it. And most browser actions will be displayed, site loading status, etc.

Invaluable, if you have visited a number of sites, or web pages, each click on the "Back" button will take you back "one link". The "Forward" button will of course reverse the process. You can easily go back and forth. . . the "Back and Forward" buttons are upper left on your Netscape browser. MS Explorer also upper left, but look for small "Left" and "Right" arrow icons, also titled "Back" and "Forward"..

To the right of the Back and Forward buttons, the Netscape button says "Stop". MS Explorer has a small ( circled X ) icon, also titled "Stop". Functions are the same, to stop what ever loading is in progress. Handy sometimes for not loading graphics when the Internet or your computer is really slow. Internet traffic effects Internet loading speed, just like the freeway. Pressing the "Esc" key (Escape) should produce the same results.

To the right of the "Stop" function, Netscape calls it "Reload" with a button. MS Explorer calls it "Refresh" and uses the tiny curved upper and lower arrow icon. Its purpose, reload the current page. Possibly you have stopped it or occasionally pages will hang for any number of reasons. During an HTML design edit session, you click "Reload" to check your last saved work.

Netscape's button says "Home", with a "House" icon, The MS Explorer uses the small "House" icon, also named "Home". Clicking "Home" returns you to your assigned browser "Start" page. We will soon review "User Options" that include assigning your "Start" page.

"Bookmarks" in Netscape with a bookmark icon, is just above the "Back" button.. MS Explorer calls them "Favorites" with a "folder" icon, just above the "Stop button". Each means the same thing, a method for recording clickable links to any web site you may visit. While on a web site, or page you want to record, depending which browser, click that title button (Bookmark or Favorite) and click "Add" (Bookmark or Favorite). When you want to use any of your recorded links, click on (Bookmark or Favorites), scroll if necessary, find your desired link and left click (or double left click) and off you go.

You can edit the Netscape Bookmarks or MS Explorer Favorites. Why edit them? Possibly to delete unneeded ones or rename to a more relevant name.

To "edit" your "Netscape Bookmarks", click on "Bookmarks", then on "Edit Bookmarks", opening the folder, find the desired bookmark file. "Right" click on it bringing up the context menu which includes "Delete". For renaming or changing the URL, "left" click on "Bookmark Properties".

To edit MS Explorer Favorites, click on "Favorites" then on "Organize Favorites", bringing up the folder, find the link you want to edit, to "Delete" or "Rename" it, "right" click it and choose desired function. If you want to change any part of the actual URL, click on "Properties".

Near the page top of Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, next to the "Home" button. The "Search" button accesses links to a few search engines and other functions. It is worth your time to check out. There are over 800 search engines on the Internet, with the number growing. But about 90% of the world uses only the top 8. These top 8 have direct access buttons near this page top, which also contains a button to all the better search engine links on one page, including new search engines as they are found and special type searches.

All the search engines are similar in appearance. They all have near their page top, a dialogue box where you type in your search criteria, then click the "Search" button, or press the keyboard "Enter" key. Although they are similar in appearance they are all different in the way they handle your search criteria. Separating words with a hyphen, a plus, a comma, quotes, the pipe command (upper case over the back slash key), and other symbols, or not at all produces different results on different search engines. And on certain search engines the case matters, trying upper or lower case , or properly capitalized words, or not capitalized, will often produce different results.

Most of the better search engines have "Help" or "Tip" sections, where you can learn the systems best method of use. You will soon learn that the better your search is worded, the better your results will be. A search using very common single words or terms will probably produce millions of possible sites. For example, searching Infoseek.com for the word: Art will produce more than 11,000,000 links for you to follow up. Using Western Art finds around 7,000. Searching for Arizona Western Art currently produces only 4 links. Thus wording is of much importance, depending on what you want to find.

The returned search results is in the form of clickable links, usually about 10 to a page. The links will show a title and short description. By default, as with most clickable links they are dark blue and are underlined. Just click on the link and off you go to that site. The default is user controlled, color, underlined or not, font size, etc., found in the browser's "Users Preferences".

Whether or not a web site can be found at all depends upon if it has been listed and indexed by any given search engine. The listing must be personally done by a representative of any given web site. This must be done with each individual search engine. Thus there are many web sites, business and personal alike that can not be found with out personal knowledge of the site's address or URL (Uniform Resource Locator). And even when a site has been listed and indexed, there is no guarantee it will be found near the top of the list, such as number one, or at least in the top 10 or 20. How well it is listed is determined by it's good or bad layout, it's direct relevancy when comparing it's title, description, and keywords with it's actual content, and often the most difficult, the competition. The only way any site can be in the top 10 listings is by design sufficient to better a competitor and lower it's indexed position.

As there are growing multi millions of world wide web sites, the search engines are continuously changing their methods, striving for service improvement, both for the Internet surfer, and for those who list sites for indexing.

On both Netscape and Microsoft browsers you will note other "Tool Bars" and a variety of buttons. When you have become familiar with the buttons we have covered, explore and experiment with the others. Many, of course based upon opinion, have little important and practical use. There functions will become obvious.

As in all good Windows software programs, the upper most tool bar begins with "File", "Edit" and "View", followed with the programs personal button options. Here we will separate Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

First, Netscape Communicator . . . the really useful functions in "File" are the "Print" functions and the "Close". You can also close your browser, or any Windows 95/98 program by clicking the upper right ( X ). The minus sign ( - ) will "Minimize" it, placing the icon on the "Task Bar" for future use. The icon between the minus sign ( - ) and the ( X ), also in all Windows 95/98 programs will make it "full screen" or "small window".

The next Communicator button , the "Edit" button. A very useful tool in the "Edit" menu, the "Find in Page" function. Use this to search any page appearing on your screen. Just type in the word or phrase you are looking for.

The most important function contained in Communicator is also found in the "Edit" menu. We finally got to it, the user "Preferences" . . . but first, you should be familiar with the next button, the "View" button. The really important "View button" features, the ability to "Show or Hide" the various tool bars. If a tool bar is not visible, for example, the "Location:" box, it is set to "Hidden". Click the "View" button and select "Show Location Toolbar". Experimentation will familiarize you with all the various "View" functions.

Continuing with clicking "Preferences", found by clicking on the "Edit" button. This is the main control center for the Netscape Communicator user, as shown in the example images below.

There are six main categories, each with sub categories as indicated by the pluses ( + ). Clicking the plus ( + ) will expand the categories as shown on the right. Clicking on any category or sub category will produce it's own menu. There is no better way to learn the functions than by using "informed" experimentation. "Informed" only means to make note of what was there before you changed it, if you goofed, or don't like the results, change it back. Clicking the lower "OK" will save any changes.

Click for Identify Tab and Mail Server Tab closeups, with more details E-mail settings are made upon the first running of Netscape, make changes here.

Next is "Mail server type:", "POP3" or "IMAP". Commonly "POP3" is checked by default and should remain so. Below these items in the "Mail server" category is one last important button, "More Options". In this menu you can check the "Save my e-mail password" box, making it unnecessary to enter your password on each new mail check. It also contains the path to "Local Mail Directory", "your mail folder" on "your computer" . If Netscape Communicator was installed the normal default way it will say . . .
"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\your user name". . . this User folder location can be changed to any folder location on your computer, and the proper path entered here.

Within this "User" folder is your e-mail, bookmarks, address book, and Internet Cache files. The "cache" files are not really important, each site you go to on the Internet goes into this file, with a revisit pulling information from this cache rather than the real site files, for much faster loading. It is not important because it is dynamically open ended, new files in, old files out, depending on the size it is set to. Find "Cache" options in the main "Advanced" category.

The important files here are Mail, Bookmarks, and Address Book, because they will be personally created or aquired by you, available no where else, unless you make a backup of them, save to diskette, etc. All this information because of the "path" to your local user files.

The important lesson to remember here . . . this user file can be moved any where on your computer, such as into another "personal" folder that also holds much personally important data that also, can not be replaced. This way it all could be backed up from one folder.

Move or create a new "user" folder any where you want, the only requirement for the proper operation of Netscape Communicator: make sure this "path" is correct. If the folder is already setup, use the "Choose" button and navigate to it.

For your information . . .
Definition for: SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A server-to-server protocol for delivering electronic mail.The standard protocol used on the Internet; also used on other TCP/IP networks.

Definition for: POP3, Post Office Protocol

Definition for: IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol. A protocol that allows a user to perform certain electronic mail functions on a remote server rather than on a local computer. Through IMAP the user can create, delete, or rename mailboxes; get new messages; delete messages; and perform search functions on mail.A separate protocol is required for sending mail. Also called Internet Mail Access Protocol.

Click the upper left "Edit" button, then "Preferences", and check out all the options. The several we have not mentioned offer other options, and are pretty much self explanatory. The best is usually saved for last . . .

After Netscape Communicator is installed, and ran for the first time, a "Profile" must be created. This will auto run, requiring you only to list your real name, e-mail address, your Incoming and Outgoing mail server addresses, as was covered above under user "Preferences", found on the "Edit" menu. As many profiles as you want for different persons using the same computer may be created, producing a "Start Up Menu" for profile selection. Each profile will create it's own private folder for "User Name", E-Mail, Address Book, Bookmarks, and file cache. Each profile may also have it's own unique "Start" page. Once any profile is created it can be edited for change or correction by running that profile, and accessed as explained above in user "Preferences".

After installation is completed, new profiles can be added or profiles can be deleted. Find this function in the Netscape Communicator "Program Group", sub folder "Utilities", clicking on the "User Profile Manager".

Upon finishing a new profile, Communicator will run showing a vertical "Component Bar" on the screen. The component icons are "Navigator", "Mailbox", Discussions", and "Composer". Upon seeing it the first time you will probably agree being an inch wide and about three inches tall, it is indeed in the way, occupying way too much screen space. Close it with it's private upper (X). It can be re-enabled any time by clicking on the upper "Communicator" menu and clicking on "Show Component Bar". When it is closed it will reappear in the lower right screen section, not at all in the way.

In this state only tiny icons are visible with no text names. "Touch" any icon with the mouse cursor and it's text name will be displayed. The first icon is the "Navigator" steering wheel for running the browser. The second icon, a tiny envelope, for the "Mailbox" (e-mail). Next is the "Discussion Groups" icon which is not difficult to use after you are familiar with the browser and Internet concepts. The last icon is for the "Composer", used for those interested in designing HTML (Hyper Text Markup Protocol) pages, or more simply stated Internet home pages.

You can open the "Mailbox" with out checking for "new mail". Use the upper "Communicator" menu button, clicking on "Messenger Mailbox ". Do this when you only want to read mail already received, and not spend time to check for "new mail".

Sending New Mail, using the Address Book, and Sending Attachments . . .

To send a new message you must first open the "Mailbox" using one of the two methods just described.

Most users will use only the envelope icon designating e-mail. This is how you check for "New Mail". Click the icon, or double click if necessary, and Netscape will check for mail and receive any available, showing a dialogue box stating for example "Status: Receiving 1 of 3 messages". A short single message may be received faster than you can detect. A long message or multiple messages will caused to be displayed a "progress bar" advancing from 1 to 100%. If there is no new mail, check the "Status" bar at the screen bottom, for a "No new messages on server" statement.

The "Mailbox" screen is devided into multiple panes depending on browser version. A typical method is an upper and lower pane, with mail indexing in the upper pane. Select any message with a left click and read it in the lower pane. How the mail messages are indexed, or "Sorted" is user controlled. While in the "Mailbox", click on the upper "View" menu, then on "Sort", showing a number of options, by Date, Sender, Subject, Unread, etc.

Delete any message by first selecting it in the indexing pane then clicking on the upper "Delete" button. You may also, after selection, "right" click for a context menu offering the "Delete" function along with several other options such as "File" which will move the message to any other folder in the "Mailbox" of your choice. Easily create mew mail folders, with your choice of names while in the "Mailbox" window. Just click the upper "File" menu, then "New Folder". Note that all deleted mail goes into the "Trash" folder. The "Trash" folder may be emptied by clicking the "File" menu then "Empty Trash Folder". Or you can "Open" the "Trash" folder and selectively delete one or more messages. To open the "Trash" folder, or any mail folder while in the "Mailbox" screen, note the upper left "Inbox". To the right of the "Inbox", note the tiny "down arrow". This is a "Navigation" arrow same as those found through out the Windows operating system. Clicking this arrow will expose all "Mailbox" folders. Click on any folder to open it, select any file for deletion or other action.

Make multiple selection of successive files by "left" clicking the first file, moving to the last file, holding down the keyboard "Shift" key, and clicking it. Do the same by selecting the first file, hold down the "Shift" key and move down with the keyboard "down arrow" key. Continue deletion, etc, by selecting from the upper menus or the "right" click context menu.

If you check your InBox and find it blank, or empty, no e-mail, just as if it were all deleted, and you did not delete it . . . first check the "Trash " folder in case you did actually inadvertently delete it. Open the master "mail folder" by clicking the tiny navigation "down arrow", found on the right side of the upper "InBox" line, exposing all the various mail folders, and "left" click on "Trash". If your lost mail is not there it is actually "hidden" rather than lost. Depending upon your version of Netscape Communicator, it can be "Unhidden" in two common ways.

The first way . . . click the upper "View" menu selecting "Messages". Possibly the first menu item "New" will be checked. In this case only "New" (unread) mail will be visible. Just click the lower "All" menu item to make all mail, including "read" mail visible.

If "All" is checked and still no mail in the "InBox . . . the second way to unhide your mail: Note the next menu line under the "InBox", beginning with "Subject", then "Sender", "Date", etc. Follow this line to the extreme right side and note the tiny "left" and "right" arrows which are side by side. Try clicking the "left" arrow repeatably. This will move all columns to the left one click at a time eventually producing your mail if it is hidden here. Repeatably clicking the "right" arrow all the way will rehide it. These functions are designed to enable you to position the various columns as desired. What ever position you leave them in will not change until you manually change them again. Possibly a whistle better left unblown.

You already know that the mail window is devided into an upper and lower pane. Select the desired message in the upper pane and read it in the lower pane. And the division bar can be used to resize either pane. Some versions of Communicator allow you to choose vertical or horizontal positioning of these panes. Commonly they are vertical, one over the other which of course makes the division bar horizontal, or left to right. Notice the "tiny blue" triangle to the extreme "left" on the division bar, with text stating hide the selected message. Clicking this triangle will hide the lower pane used for reading messages. The blue triangle will be placed lower "left screen". Clicking the triangle in this position will make the lower pane reappear.

The "Start" page is the page first appearing after you click and load your browser. It is the page appearing when you click your browser's upper "Home" button. Not accepting just what ever is there is your first opportunity to take charge of how you make the Internet work for you. It can be any page of your choosing, from any site on the world Internet, or a local file on your computer, such as the COEASE Local Homepage. All that really is important is that you know how to change it. The first step, easy, just have your page of choice on your screen. Find it by typing in the URL address in the Location box, and pressing the Enter key, or by clicking on an appropriate text or image link. When the page appears, click the upper Left "Edit" button, then on "Preferences". The first menu screen in "Preferences", on the right is titled "Navigator - Specify the home page location".

Center screen you will see the "Location" box, containing the URL address for the page currently on your screen. Just below the "Location box" you will see a button titled "Use Current Page". Click the button then click "OK". This page is now your "Start" page. Easily return and change it as often as you want to.

If you are just beginning your efforts in the computer and Internet world, the instructions on this page will help you quickly get off to a good start. For easy reference, temporarily make this page your "Start" page. There is a link near this page top for quickly returning here for review. Change it now for practice.

Changing your "Start" page in Microsoft Internet Explorer is identical to the method used in Netscape, but accessing the option is different, finding the user options from the Explorer "Tools", then "Internet Options" menus, as compared to the Netscape "Edit", then "Preferences" menus, Explorer options, including e-mail, are further explained just below.